Memento Mori 2: Requiem
by kittsbud
Summary: In this SEQUEL to Memento Mori, we finally see what life has in store for Clark, Chloe and everyone else. For our hero, the journey won't be an easy one. Can they all live through this final adventure though? COMPLETED!
1. Default Chapter

Author's Note.  
_I'm sorry about the wait, but for those of you who wanted to know more at the end of Memento Mori, hopefully this will explain. I have given all the main characters a fairer share of the action in this one, but in the end I hope to have given you all some action, love, drama, angst, fun, and sadness. Bear with me, because I'm swamped at work right now, but in the end I will finish this, and we will find out what happens to everyone! ;)_   
  
  


Memento Mori 2: Requiem

  
  
  
  
The new apartment seemed quiet to Clark, even though he could hear the breathing of a mouse as far away as the next block if he so wished. It wasn't the endless silence that bothered him though; it was the thing that was making him feel eternally guilty that played heavily on his mind. It had been six months now since he had asked Chloe to marry him, and over four months since they had actually tied the knot. Now however, things were turning out far differently than he could have imagined. 

For a while life had been good. Chloe had continued at the Planet, and he had never faltered in his quest to bring the evil Lucas Luthor to justice. It was when Chloe had brought up the subject of having children just a few short weeks ago, that things had begun to change. 

Sighing, Clark gently turned to look at Chloe as she slept by his side. Her beauty never ceased to amaze him, and as she snuggled deeper into her pillow, he softly brushed a stray wisp of hair from her brow. She had lay by his side all night like this, a tiny grin on her sleeping face, totally oblivious to his constant bursts of insomnia. _How can I sleep, when with all my gifts, I can't give her the one thing in the world she wants? _

Frustrated, the detective peeled away his side of the quilt, and soundlessly padded into the kitchen. It was much more spacious than his last apartment's, but then Chloe had chosen this one. He smiled at the memory of her raised brow, and serious expression as she told the real estate agent she required room for an oversized refrigerator, because her husband hated the word 'shopping', and so she would need to keep in plenty of stock. The man had nodded wisely, probably because he hated the grocery run too. 

Opening the refrigerator door, Clark grabbed an ice-cold coke and gazed upon the hoard of food that had been piled within. When his wife shopped, she held nothing back. _So, why can't you find a way to repay her for bringing meaning to your life, and for being there when you need her most? There is one way..._

The doleful husband looked as the early morning light cascaded through the room's blinds, a stark reminder of how beautiful, but uncertain life could be. Then he made his way back to the bedroom, an expression of sorrow and disappointment on his face. He could still feel Chloe's warmth as he perched delicately on the edge of the bed, not wanting to wake her, but needing deep within to make the decision that would make her world whole again. 

Tentatively he sipped his sparkling beverage, and remembered the previous week how he had visited Klein at Star labs. The good doctor knew his secret, and if anyone could help the couple have kids, then he was the man. Even then Clark had held out little hope, but for Chloe he had asked anyway. He could still see the look of sadness as Klein had told him the news deep down he had already guessed. 

_"I'm sorry Clark, but your D.N.A. is simply not compatible. You have extra chromosomes that help provide your abilities, and alas prevent you from having a child. At least with a human wife..."_

The despair in the scientist's voice had been obvious, and then Lex had appeared out of the blue to compound matters. He had made some excuse about just needing to pick up some paperwork, but Clark knew his old-time friend had been curious as to why he had gone anywhere near a lab facility without being hurt, or under duress. In the end Clark had needed to tell someone, and Lex had been a sympathetic ear, just like their days back in Smallville. He had poured out his soul to the millionaire, and if nothing else it had given him some kind of solace. 

_"Maybe Klein can't help, but that doesn't mean you just give in Clark! I can pay for the best geneticists. I'm sure there's something that can be done...you don't even need to meet them. I can arrange any tests and so on to be conducted through Klein..."_

It had been a tempting offer, and one he had since thought of constantly, but the risks to his secret were infinitesimal. It would only take one curious scientist to cause trouble, and even if Lex knew people who could be discreet, how would he explain Clark's D.N.A. in the first place? Not to mention the fact that it would mean I.V.F, and after his last big case he really wasn't fond of that idea. There were too many variables, too many ifs and buts, and yet here he was considering it yet again anyway. 

"Clark? What are you doing sitting there?" Chloe rubbed her eyes, and then checked the bedside clock to convince herself it wasn't time to rise. "You might not need sleep, but I sure do..." 

Clark smiled, and moving closer wrapped an arm around his still drowsy wife. She looked back up dreamily into his eyes, and then huddled nearer to his stocky frame, somehow expecting he had something to tell her. "You know how I went to see Klein?" He offered up the sentence carefully, not wanting to give false hope at the onset of such a risky endeavor, "when I told you he said he couldn't help?" 

Chloe nodded, an unexpected radiance he hadn't seen for a while suddenly reappearing in her eyes. "You said maybe we could adopt later though...have you been checking into it without telling me?" She was sitting up now, the alert reporter, wanting to know more. 

Slowly Clark shook his head and took her tiny hand in his, squeezing it reassuringly. "No, but Lex has offered something else..." Meticulously he spilled out every detail of what they would need to do, and just how hazardous it would be if anything ever led back to him. 

Chloe listened intently; knowing how hard it must have been for him to even think about letting anyone put his cells under a microscope again. When he at last finished his narrative, she sat silently for a moment absorbing what it all meant, then wrapped her arms around his neck like a love struck koala. "I wanted children Clark, but I won't risk losing you for them. We can still adopt..." 

A slight smile appeared, but not the usual ear-to-ear Kent grin. For once he had decided he was going to be the stubborn one, and to prove it he super-sped to the nearby phone, and had dialed before Chloe even perceived any movement. 

"Lex? Can I still take you up on that offer of help?" It was still early, but he knew Luthor would be up plotting some business scheme. He always was, legal or not. 

Chloe wanted to punch him for being so pig headed, but instead once he hung up the receiver, she slammed her favorite pillow straight at his head. "Don't you ever do as I ask Clark Kent?" She emphasized his last name in mock anger, and then whacked him with the pillow again. 

He feigned pain and flinched back, bouncing down on the bed as if in retreat. "Hey! Who says I did this for you? I wanted kids too..." 

Chloe giggled and pounced on him like a tiger, pinning him down. "You know what?" She sat peering into his fun filled eyes, waiting for a response. 

"What?" 

"I love you..." This time their lips met, and nothing in the world could have stopped them. 

Outside the city began to awaken, horns began to blurt, and sirens began to wail. On the street corner a kid began touting the day's edition of The Planet in his every day routine, as early risers started to scurry by him in earnest. Right now though, Clark's finely honed ears detected only the beating of their two hearts, as interminable silence gave way to undying love...   
  
  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

  
  
  
Smallville Bank 10.45pm.  
Two Days Later.   
  
The agile figure swung across the wire cable with ease, every practiced movement bringing them closer to their goal. Hand over hand they used their small, but powerful muscles to drag themselves to an area not protected by the security system. With a tiny thud, their dark padded boots hit the bank's rooftop, and they rolled over like some ninja from the dark ages into the gloom. 

If a late passerby had looked up fleetingly, they would have thought the silhouette a trick of the light, so rapidly did it move in and out of the shadows. The intruder's actions were almost cat like, slinking from their landing point to an access door that was poorly protected, without even standing upright. 

A gloved hand reached to a concealed pocket in the jet-black suit, and swiftly retrieved a tiny tool that would facilitate entry through the lock within seconds. With a pop the lock gave way to technology, and the interloper moved on, keeping their sense of gravity low ready for any unexpected fight. They didn't expect any resistance, but a warrior would never let down their guard nonetheless. 

On the stairwell to the vaults below, security systems began to play a larger role in the buildings protection, and the figure paused. It would be a simple task to knock out the antiquated alarm and cameras, but this job required more than that. Luthor had specified quite clearly that no one was to know the bank had been compromised; at least not right away. This part of the mission made things more complex, but certainly not impossible. 

Flicking open a second Velcro pocket, the thief glanced around warily, then delicately tugged out a palm sized electronic device, which they rapidly attached to a control panel on the main entry door before them. An LCD display promptly gave out the correct access code, and smiling beneath their mask, the intruder keyed it in. A beep and a hiss as the system went into idle mode, signaled the bank was now well and truly ready for the taking. Only one thing had to be dealt with now, before the assignment could be completed, and he was most probably asleep in his chair...   
  
Alf Wilmore flinched as a stray sound caught his aging ears, and he shuddered. He was too old for any of this, and had he sufficient funds he would have been lapping it up somewhere in the sun now. Instead thanks to the Luthor's, he was forced to work nights in Smallville's bank, just to make ends meet. 

As the tapping noise erupted again, he drew his gun and launched himself from the corner seat, where usually he took his nightly nap. The lobby area was quiet, each desk neatly laid out for the next day. 

Alf gulped as he swung his torch around the empty chairs and counters. "Anybody there?" It was a stupid question, and one he knew no burglar was likely to answer, but somehow it made him feel better deep in the pit of his stomach. 

"That would depend on whom you were seeking..." The darkly clad form appeared as if by magic from the darkness. Each step so delicate Alf was reminded for one brief moment of a ballerina he had once seen perform in Metropolis. 

"I...I..." The weapon began to shake in the elderly guard's hand. If he had expected this he would never have taken the darn job, but since the Luthor robbery, or whoever it had been, the bank had been pretty quiet. "Just take what you want..." He finally stammered, letting his back bump into the wall as he subconsciously retreated. 

The figure moved with him, their whispery voice mocking his cowardice. "Oh, I intend to, just as soon as I've dealt with you..." Their left hand suddenly opened to reveal something akin to pepper spray, which was summarily squeezed in the quaking man's nostrils. 

He coughed as he involuntarily inhaled the substance, then a twisting pain in his chest told him this was more than mace. More agony began to run down his arm like fiery spikes, and he knew then with an almost calm surety that he was having a heart attack. Clasping his chest, he collapsed to the tiled floor, his lips turning blue as less and less oxygen reached his bloodstream. 

The intruder watched for a short time, and then strode over his still writhing body towards the vaults. The old man would be found in the morning, after an apparent cardiac arrest, and at his age it wouldn't be considered unnatural. If anyone ever did suspect more, it would be far too late to matter. 

With the security system still offline, the thief took only ten more minutes to open the main chamber. Inside lay a multitude of cash, jewelry, and much more, but it was not what they were here for tonight. Running their glove along each deposit box end till they reached the correct number, the masked raider yanked out the metal container with one tug. It felt so light, so innocent, but for Luthor to want what was within, it had to be so much more. Needing to know just what could be worth their high fee, the minion opened the box labeled as the Kents like a mad person. Inside lay one solitary item, an item that had already cost one man his life, and soon would perhaps cost so much more. 

"What are you...?" They ran a gloved finger over the metallic object questioningly, letting their hand pause at the indentations that appeared so unfathomable. 

It shimmered in the dim light as if answering, its odd shape, and strange markings adding to the intrigue. _How did a Kansas farmer come across something that looks like it belongs in a museum, or better still a science lab? And just what the hell did old Lionel see so valuable in it, that ten years after his death Lucas has paid me to acquire it by whatever means necessary?_

The solution to the conundrum didn't come readily to mind, but as the ex C.I. A. operative retraced their steps, they vowed to find out, because in fifteen years with 'the company,' they had never seen anything look so alien...   
  
  



	2. Memento Mori 2: Requiem Part 2

  
  
Thank you for reading and reviewing folks :)   
  
  
8 Weeks Later...  
The Rear Of A Rundown Metropolis Motel.

Jez Tanner sniffed at the night air as if it would bring his contact to the motel faster. He didn't like being out here alone, and the fact that Lucas Luthor had sent him wasn't exactly comforting. Luthor was a boss with unparalleled associates in the crime world, and some even came in the form of the Japanese mafia, or Jakuza. He suspected these were the people he had been sent to meet tonight, and it made him feel even worse. Tanner shivered at the very name, and recalled how Luthor had threatened him a few short months ago with a Jakuza style death if he ever failed. 

Impatient to be back where it was warm and safe, Tanner squinted, searching the gloom, and forcing his contact lens to do the work his myopic eyes couldn't. It was ironic really, because somehow he felt his own short sightedness had brought him here tonight, but it was a short sightedness that had nothing to do with vision, and much more to do with bad decision making. _Why the hell did I get involved with one of the biggest crime bosses in Metropolis? _Tanner rubbed a hand over his chin and realized he had dug himself into a hole, and now there was no way out. _Maybe I could go to that cop...the one named Kent? Maybe even prison is better than mass murder..._

A squashed tin can clattered, breaking Tanner from his musings, and rolled harmlessly to his feet. Suddenly alert, he whirled about, his left hand edging under his jacket towards his sidearm. At the figure before him, he paused, taking in the size and movement of the newcomer. 

Tanner nodded his head. "You're from Kazuku?" He assumed from the black clad interloper's silence, and mask that they were the one he had come to meet. "Luthor asked me to give you this..." Reaching into a pocket he briskly pulled out an envelope and offered it up. 

His newfound friend drew nearer, acting as if they intended to retrieve the item, then at the last moment pulled away to his left and made a lunge for his neck. Tanner responded with equal force, surprising the attacker somewhat, and they retreated, pulling out a serrated blade. 

"I'm not as dumb as you guys think..." Tanner circled, looking for a weak spot, should the assassin show one, "you Orientals think you can come over here and take over the whole damn crime underworld, well you're wrong!" 

This time Tanner was first to strike out, punching at his opponent with enough energy to flatten a raging bull. The foe however was no clumsy bovine, and sidestepped the assault with ease, bringing their knee into the pit of his stomach in a retaliatory maneuver. Tanner grunted, the wind momentarily knocked out of him, and fell forward, only just managing not to collapse. 

"Just what the hell do you want?" Jez Tanner was becoming weak, and it showed in his suddenly more servile attitude. "You were supposed to close the deal with me...Luthor won't let this go..." 

The masked aggressor kicked high in typical martial arts style, finally dropping Tanner to his knees, then leaned over and offered a few sneering, whispered words. "Who do you think sent me here fool? Lucas already made the level 3 deal with Kazuku, over four weeks ago in fact. You were simply a loose end he didn't trust anymore." 

Tanner found a booted heal pressing him firmly down from above, then a mace spray appeared in his face. He squinted again, this time in terror, because unlike Alf Wilmore he knew what the tiny canister contained. He would be dead in no time at all, and all because of his own foolishness in getting involved with Luthor. In one last attempt to save himself, he pushed against the boot in his chest and rolled to the side, but it was all too late. A fine mist oozed into the night air, the microscopic droplets instantly finding their way into his lungs and beyond. The energy draining from him, Tanner fell backwards, his eyes becoming bloodshot as he wheezed his last hopeless breaths. 

The attacker ignored the look on his tormented countenance, the frantic, forlorn emotions of a dying man meaning nothing to them as they continued the next task. "Consider yourself a field test of a new project Tanner, and lets just say up to now that project is proving one hundred percent efficient..."   
  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

  
  
Clark sighed as he watched Lois dig into her overfilled sandwich, then glanced at his watch for at least the third time in twenty minutes. They had been sat in their car for over an hour waiting for a call, and the lack of action was reminding the cop of more pressing matters on his mind. 

"This must be the quietest night in the M.P.D's history." Lois noted his impatience, and commented on it as she washed down her meal with an almost cold coffee. "Relax Clark, Chloe will be back soon, and I'm sure dispatch will find us something to do before the night is over..." 

The twenty eight year old scowled, then smiled. In the months he had worked with Lois Lane, she had come to know his every mood swing and concern, without him ever voicing them. In fact, the only things she didn't fully know about him where his true origins, although she still understood more than most about his abilities. 

"Sorry..." He exhaled, letting the apology come out sounding half hearted. "It's just that with Chloe away on this assignment for Perry, it leaves me far too much time to think about the having kids dilemma..." 

Lois nodded knowingly, and took a bite from her second B.L.T. "I really think this thing might work, you have to be patient. Did Klein say when he might know something?" 

Kent chewed his lip; could he tell Lois just how far things had gone? "Actually, it's all up to Chloe now...she'll probably know before Klein..." He watched Lane for a reaction, and was almost covered in the remains of her sandwich when she nearly choked on it in shocked surprise. 

"You're that close? God Kent, why didn't you say?" Lois felt like punching her partner affectionately for being so secretive, but in his case, she knew the reasoning behind his concealment was more than valid. "Wow, what does it feel like to think you might be a dad soon?" She smiled as she said the words, but deep down something was niggling her, and she hated herself for thinking it. _ Why can't it be me with him?_ Ashamedly she hid the thoughts in the darkest recesses of her mind, hoping they would never resurface. Chloe was her cousin, she should be glad for them, nothing else. 

Clark shrugged; so far he hadn't let any of it sink in. When Lex had come up with a geneticist who said it just might be possible to help, it had been too good to be true. In fact it had scared him. Now after weeks of tests and repeated visits back to Star labs, he still wasn't going to get complacent about it. "I'll let you know when I'm sure it's going to happen..." 

Lane's eyes narrowed, and she was about to chide him about being a pessimist, when the radio at last buzzed to life._ "All units, we have a possible attempted homicide in progress on 34th Street, to the rear of Hobbs motel and diner. All available units please respond..."_

Throwing the remains of her half chewed lunch out the open driver's window, Lane cranked the ignition and gunned the gas. "About time!" The Ford's wheels spun fleetingly in the loose gravel, then took a tenuous grip on the ground as the traction control kicked in, allowing the car to shoot forward. 

Kent grabbed a hold of his door handle as the vehicle gained momentum, but he wasn't holding on for dear life, even though it looked that way. "Litter bug!" He jokingly scolded his partner for ditching her sandwich, then before she reached the main highway, his door was flung open, and he had seemingly vanished into the night air. 

Lois frowned, even though she had fully expected his actions, and floored the Crown Victoria's accelerator in the futile hope of keeping up with her airborne partner. "Next time, shut the door behind you Kent!" She rolled her eyes, knowing full well with his auditory range, he would still have heard her half a block away...   
  
Clark landed outside Hobbs motel with a slight thud, and looked cautiously around. The building was derelict, overgrowing weeds creeping onto the porch like some invading army in the night. It was a forsaken place, where only vagrants usually hung out these days, so what could be going on here right now was a mystery in itself. Determined to find out without tipping off the villain, he scanned through the broken down wooden building to its rear. Using his x-ray vision to its maximum potential, Kent soon had a crystal clear view of the crime, and from what he could tell it was a pretty nasty one. A man lay sprawled on the ground, his heart deathly still, and leaning over him a figure was about to remove a finger with a razor sharp, notched blade. 

Without thinking further Clark hit super speed, wanting to catch the criminal in the act. A whoosh of air was all that signaled both his departure, and arrival in less than a millisecond. 

" M.P.D. Move away from the body..." Kent didn't bother to flash his badge; he had long since learned that it was a very rare occurrence that it did any good. Usually the bad guy had no intention of giving in without a fight, and tonight he was sure wasn't going to be any different. Still he gave them the benefit of the doubt, and waited for a response. 

None came, except in the form of a wild hiss from his adversary, before they launched into the night in a vain escape attempt. Clark had been expecting the move, and again used his speed to place himself in front of the murderer. "There's nowhere to run..." 

This time a huff of complacency from the runner, told Kent all too late that something was wrong. This person wasn't amazed at how he had gotten in front of them, his lightning speed or reflexes hadn't come as a surprise, and that could mean only one thing. _He knows..._

As the revelation hit Clark's mind, a gloved hand darted outwards with yet another canister, this one somewhat different to the one used on previous victims. Abruptly alarmed by the strange and unpredicted action, Kent shot a short burst of heat from his eyes, searing through to the attacker's flesh just enough to make them want to drop the deadly spray. The action half worked, and with an angry yelp the foe shot back, but not before releasing the tiny trigger mechanism. 

Like earlier victims, Kent's reaction was a spontaneous one and he still inhaled, his body's autonomic functions continuing their routine before his racing mind could stop them. Somehow knowing he shouldn't breath in anymore of the deadly particles, he tried to dive from the rest of their path as he saw each minute atom racing towards him, but even his speed wasn't enough. A burning sensation at the back of his throat told Clark he had breathed in some of the fine mist, and that somehow it was already affecting his normally invulnerable body. 

The perpetrator watched as Kent's form slumped to the wet ground, unconscious, and they considered walking over to give him another dose, just in case. _It would be the humane thing to do..._The sarcastic idea was a pleasing one, and they began to amble over to make sure Kent stayed dead. From the roadway a shrill siren cut off the murderer's run of fun however, as Lane finally made it to the scene, perhaps all too late for her partner...   
  
  



	3. Memento Mori 2: Requiem Part 3

  
  
Once Again Thank You Everyone :)   


  
"Clark...Clark!" Lois's voice was growing to an almost crescendo pitch, as she shook her colleague harder and harder. 

Finally Kent responded with a groan, and dared to open his eyes to the world. His head felt like he had one huge hangover, even though he didn't drink. "I'm ok...I just blacked out..." 

"What the hell happened, you never just black out? I almost called for an ambulance as well as back up, you had me so scared." Carefully she helped him sit up, and noticed with dread that he was trembling slightly. _This can't be good..._

"The guy was ready for me, he hit me with some sort of spray. With all my abilities you'd think I'd still have the sense to be cautious huh?" Shaking off what had happened, at least for Lois benefit, Kent climbed to his feet and brushed loose dirt from his black jacket. "The worrying part is that our bad guy knew about me, and had something that can affect me. It gives me the idea this was more than some mugging that went too far, this was a hit on our dead guy, and only one name comes to mind for the man behind it..." 

Lois didn't need to ask whom her partner meant. On their first case together Clark had almost been killed by one of Lucas Luthor's henchmen. If anyone had come up with something to affect Clark, it was probably him. "You think Luthor is back to his old tricks? I thought the Luthorcorp shares fiasco was still keeping him busy?" 

Clark acknowledged her with a slight grunt that proved he wasn't exactly back to full form, then made his way to Tanner's corpse. As he kneeled, two police cruisers arrived as their backup. "I never doubted Lucas would rise from that, it was just a temporary setback to him. The question is why did he want this guy out of the way?" 

Slipping on gloves, Kent pulled Tanner's jacket loosely open and felt inside till he retrieved a wallet, and a small P.D.A. Flicking through both he discovered nothing save the man's name, and a set of inconsequential addresses on the mini pc. 

"Shouldn't we leave that to the crime scene team?" Lois raised a brow, but knew Clark had no intention of waiting should he find a lead. "Find anything interesting?" She peered over his shoulder, giving into his unconventional methods. Then another vehicle approached and she stood back, knowing the owner from past cases. "Uh oh, Molly is going to be really pleased you messed up her evidence..." 

Clark had to grin at the thought of his long time friend Molly Stevenson. She was the best M.E. he knew, probably the best in Metropolis, and maybe even Kansas. She also had a very short fuse when someone messed up her crime scene, and right now he expected to be grilled over it. 

"Kent! What are you doing tampering with my cadaver?" Molly scowled, then gestured for two patrolmen to move out of her way as she approached the already taped off area. "What have you got for me, shooting, stabbing?" 

Clark shook his head, about to tell her he had no clue how Tanner had died, but then something felt very wrong. He blinked as the world around him began to swim in and out of focus, and a wave of dizziness and nausea engulfed him. The detective's mind reeled momentarily, and the next thing he knew Lois was grabbing him and guiding him to a nearby wall, where she summarily sat him down. 

"I'm fine..." The half-hearted untruth wasn't fooling anyone, but Kent still tried to sound convincing. If he had told them his real thoughts, and how every breath caused intense pain, he had no doubt he would be frog marched to Metropolis Memorial, and that he couldn't afford. _I've got to get a grip; at least in front of these two...but what if this thing is based on kryptonite, like the bullets he had me shot with before? They can't dig out something I've absorbed into my system..._

"Sonny, you don't look fine to me!" Molly had tagged along at the first sign that things weren't well. She had a motherly soft spot for Kent, although she would never admit it. "Are you hurt? Maybe you should get looked over..." 

Shaking his head Clark made a conscious effort to appear nothing more than fatigued, Molly after all had no clue that normally he couldn't get sick. "I think its time I took some leave is all Molly. I've had a pretty big caseload and maybe it's getting to me. I'll go home and get some sleep, I promise..." 

The coroner's eyes narrowed, proving she didn't believe a word, but she was here to work after all, and finally succumbed to examining the body rather than Kent. 

Relieved, Clark turned back to Lois and inhaled laboriously. He looked pale, and his eyes were almost glazed, their normal sparkle reduced to a dull hue. At the sight Lane couldn't shake her concern. "Clark, you need to look in a mirror. Till we get the labs workup, and Molly's report, there's not much we can do here. Why don't we go get Klein to check you out? Or while Chloe's away at least come back to my place and I'll cook you something?" 

"We could check out those leads in the P.D.A.?" 

Lois yanked on his arm in temper. "And you could black out again in the middle of a fight!" _Why is he always so stubborn? If it were anyone else I'd have dragged them down to the hospital by now..._

"It's my place for a meal, and I can keep an eye on you, or I get Molly back over here and tell her about the mystery spray..." For once Lane meant every word. The hidden feelings she had for Clark were welling up inside, and there was nothing she could do to repress them. If she couldn't have him to love, she could at least make sure he stayed alive and well for her cousin's return. 

Not suspecting her true thoughts, but knowing she meant business, Kent finally capitulated. "I give in to your superior intellect and verbal maneuvering..." He smiled again, "you know, sometimes when you do that, you remind me of Lex and his frequent mind games." 

Lois frowned and tugged open the Ford's door. _He knows I still don't fully trust Lex, and he compares me to him!_ She shot Kent an acerbic look then beamed, attempting to come up with a suitably funny retaliatory remark on the drive back to her home...   
  
  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

  
  
  
Lucas Luthor's Second Office  
Level Three...   
  
Lucas Luthor hated telephone conversations; he much preferred to look people in the eye when he spoke to them, Lionel had taught him that trick. Sometimes, like now though, they were necessary. Since the true nature of his dealings had been brought to light by Clark Kent, he had to be very careful who he was seen in public with, and just which of his actions he let become common knowledge. Right now, it was a good job his operative wasn't standing before him. 

"Just why the hell wasn't all the evidence leading back to us removed from Tanner's body?" Lucas slammed a fist into his desktop as anger began to swell in him. "You were supposed to make this look like Kazuku's doing!" He had planned everything so carefully, and yet already things were not going as he wished. To Luthor it was a totally unacceptable state of affairs. 

The voice at the other end ignored his bitter temperament. "Kent turned up, I was forced to alter the game plan..." 

"You should have used the spray dammit! He was next on the list anyway. I thought you were supposed to be the best." The phone began to shake as Lucas exerted more pressure on it, without even knowing how much his anger he was venting. "I think I need to review your pay scheme..." 

"I did use the spray, Kent collapsed for a time, but he was up again before I even left the scene. The fault isn't mine Luthor, it's yours...tell your people to design better germs." This time the killer's voice oozed sarcasm, and a certain amount of annoyance. "What do you want me to do now?" 

Lucas paused just a second to think, letting his rage come under control, at least with this subordinate. "I'll be back in touch within the hour..." Without further word he hung up and jumped from his seat. Failure was not something he liked. _Someone's going to pay for this... _

Striding through the level three section like some deranged madman, Luthor headed straight to his head researcher's post. She had strung him along for months making the virus for Kent, and now it didn't even work. "Doctor, your little concoction for Kent didn't do a damn thing, and frankly I want to know why?" The words came out in a flurry, as he rushed into the room, pushing past a centrifuge so fast and hard it clattered to the floor. He disregarded the broken test tubes, and stared at the woman scientist with a glare so intense as to instill fear into God himself. "I wanted him dead instantly!" 

Her dark eyes looked back submissively, all the fight having been drained from her long ago. "I told you the strain I made for the cop was different. Kent's physiology is so unlike ours, at least on a cellular level. There are just too many variables for me to be precise in my calculations. The variant I made will work though; I guarantee it. He will die soon, and nothing can stop it..." 

Lucas huffed, and for a moment he seemed placated, then his face screwed into some demon-like mask, as he was again overwhelmed with a wrath he couldn't control. For one brief second the doctor expected him to hit her, but instead he turned to the nearby workbench and scooped its contents onto the floor in a crazed frenzy. A Bunsen burner sputtered as its gas supply was cut off, and several vials of some unknown liquid gushed onto the tiled floor, leaving an evil green stain as they spread outward. Finally satisfied with his outburst, he turned back fleetingly to the woman. 

"You better be right, because what Edge and my father did to you all those years ago? Well it will be nothing compared to what I can arrange." He smirked, and briefly Lionel's long dead sardonic grin came to life in his equally evil son...   
  
  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

  
  
  
Lois Lane's Apartment   
  
Clark sat quietly at Lois' dining table, not really knowing what to say or do. This was the first time he had ever been in her home, and had he been his normal healthy self, he might have noticed just how perfect the place was laid out. As it was, he tugged his jacket ever closer to his body, as an evil chill began to permeate through his very being. 

"I sure hope you can stomach my cooking, I'm not exactly in practice at this..." Lois appeared with a plate in each hand, gently placing one before him. "Just something I rustled up pretty fast..." She took her own platter, and dropped into her seat the other side the table, noting yet again Kent's pallor, but not knowing just what to do about it. 

Kent smiled feebly back. The food looked fine, in fact it looked worthy of his mother's cooking even, but his normally huge appetite had drained away with his color, and nothing was going to bring it back. _I haven't felt this ill since that time mom got sick too..._

Not wanting to appear ungracious, or indeed ill, he picked up a fork and toyed with his meal whilst he talked. "Maybe we should take a closer look at the P.D.A. we found on our corpse?" 

Lois sipped a glass of water, then retrieved the evidence bag from her purse and flicked on the handheld. "Mostly it's just addresses in here. There are a couple of e-mails too..." Her nose wrinkled slightly as she squinted at the messages in such tiny typeface. "Listen to this one. It's from some Eastern Shipping Conglomerate. _'We are pleased to hear the level's processing capabilities are now maxed out, and that our order will now be delivered on time, therefore avoiding any unnecessary penalties we would have been forced to impose' _It's signed, but its in Chinese or Japanese..." 

Kent squirmed, and this time not just from the wooziness he was feeling. The word 'level' had triggered an old memory, and it wasn't a good one. "This still sounds typical Lucas Luthor. The plant in Smallville once had a secret facility on level three, what if he reopened it? And our killer looked almost Oriental in size and movements..." 

Lois was way ahead now, and the thrill of the chase showed clearly on her face. "Luthor has always had connections in the underworld, especially the Japanese side of things! We might finally be getting close to nailing him, if we can find out what this order is for..." 

Clark thought so too, but what price had he already paid? The queasy sensation was getting stronger, and he had no clue how to quell it. His throat felt like sandpaper, and with each sentence it became coarser, and harder to talk. _I have to hold it together while I'm here... _

Not wanting to alarm his hostess further, he tugged his tremulous body up to get a glass of water, but even that proved too much for his failing system. Knees buckling, he at last yielded to the inevitable, and let his weary eyes and body give in to a blissful respite. Only one thing played through his consciousness now as he impacted with the floor, and it was the one thing he would try to live for. _Chloe...Chloe... _   
  
  



	4. Memento Mori 2: Requiem part 4

  
  
  
Don't panic folks, all the characters will be in this at some point ;) Thank you so much everyone who has reviewed so far. Your kind words are appreciated!   
  
  
A stream of voices first alerted the detective that he was no longer alone with Lois, and that he was now sprawled across her plush couch, shirt open. _Please tell me she hasn't called the paramedics..._ Panicking, he tried dragging himself up before they could get another look at him, only to suddenly realize his tired brain recognized the intonation of the newcomers. 

"Lex? Dr Klein?" The abrasive hollow edge to his own words scared him, as did the revelation that he had blacked out long enough for his two friends to be summoned and arrive. 

"Clark, Thank God!" Lex turned from his intense conversation with Klein and almost bear hugged his long time chum. It was an action he would not let just anyone witness, because it implied a weakness to his business enemies he couldn't afford to show, but here, among these people, Lex revealed his softer side without reservation. 

It was an emotion seconded by Lois. "Don't you ever do that to me again!" Gently she took a seat by his side. "When you didn't come around I knew you needed help, I'm sorry if it wouldn't have been your choice...but I had to do it..." 

Lex's wicked smirk appeared. "She was frantic with worry about you Clark. Don't be too hard on her." Luthor patted the cop's shoulder, and then his face grew much more serious with what was to come next. "It's a good thing she called when she did though, this is a problem that isn't going to go away without help." The lilac shirted millionaire nodded to his head scientist to take over the narrative, and Klein looked stressed by the sudden attention, and by what he had to tell. 

Rubbing his hands together in anxiety, the bespectacled doctor looked to his boss, then back to his patient. "I'd like you to come back with me to the labs to run some tests, but..." 

"But?" Clark asked, although he really didn't need telling. Since the spray had first hit him, he had subconsciously known its deadly origins, and what it might take to 'cure' him. _If I'm dying, then only the ship can help, like it saved me and mom...at least I hope..._ In his mind tiny doubts were already creeping in. In this world, nothing was absolute...except maybe death. 

Klein swallowed hard, his graying moustache ticking with nervous dread. "Clark, I think you're dying from some sort of kryptonite engineered virus or toxin, and...and frankly I don't know what to do to fight it..." 

Lois took her cop partner's hand and squeezed firmly, letting him know she was there for him, and that she wasn't giving up if Klein was. "Molly rang ten minutes ago with the preliminary results on our victim. Apparently he died from a heart attack, and it wasn't natural causes. His blood work shows an unknown toxin too...We can still beat this though Clark, don't you give in on me!" 

No one spoke, no one moved. Even Lex looked to the floor in shaken silence. Of them all, it had seemed that Clark was destined to live the longest, to do great things for the world. 

After awhile the failing detective sat forward, not willing to give in just yet to the pollution within him. He wished he could have said he didn't fear death, but alien or not, his thoughts were mortal and very real. _Chloe, I can't leave Chloe like this... but if I'm to die, I want the man behind it before I go..._

"I won't spend my last hours in a lab." He looked up to the doctor, then to Lex, "the answer to all of this is back in Smallville, back at the plant. I'm sure of it. And if not, at least I'll die at home with my family." 

Lex licked his lips, his eyes abruptly showing no emotion. "You might be right, my contacts tell me Lucas has been spending a lot of time there just lately. Although as of yet they've supplied me with nothing concrete about his covert operations. If you go back there, you at least take Klein with you though? I'll pay for anything he thinks might help you, regardless of cost..." 

"Where will you be?" Clark gazed his rich friend, wanting him to be there if the ship failed to save him. 

"I'm not giving up on you, you'll come back from this Clark, and I just might know of another possible source of help to make sure you do." Luthor grabbed his Interceptor's keys and headed for the door, not wanting to waste one precious second. 

Klein called him back with a heart rending speech. "Lex, I don't think anyone can do anything, maybe not even this things creator...It's been produced by one of the best bio-engineers I've ever seen, that much I can tell you without even going back to the lab..." 

Lex didn't stop, his reply was simple. "Then I guess I need to find someone even better to get rid of it..." 

As the door slammed shut with a hollow thump, Lois turned to her two remaining guests, a look of immense determination on her troubled face. "I'm coming with you; maybe we can solve this thing between us. We'll need to get Chloe back here too." 

"No!" Clark's physical agony was abruptly beaten into submission by his mental torment, "I don't want Chloe told, not yet, not while there's a chance." _The ship might still cure me...I just have to hold on, but I can't tell Lois that, she still doesn't know I'm anything more than a meteor freak..._

Lane's brow knitted, but she didn't question his reasoning. "Clark she's your wife, she'd want to be with you!" His anguished expression made her say no more, and instead she looked to Klein. "Can you arrange a chopper back to Smallville? We need all the time we can get." 

The fidgety bow-tied scientist bobbed his head in acknowledgment. "Lex has one on standby all the time at the airfield; I can drive us out right now." 

"Okay, you two head on out there, and I'll catch you up. I'll need to call Captain Manning and make up a suitable excuse for our absence. Want me to call your parents and tell them we're on our way too?" 

"Don't tell them everything just yet though," Kent's normally sparkling eyes beseeched, "just tell dad to go to the bank and make a special withdrawal, he'll understand." _I can't let her know about the key and ship. I already burdened her with the truth about my gifts..._

Lois didn't understand the cryptic message, but Kent gave her little time to query it. Grabbing Klein for support, he headed out into an early morning sunrise; one that may well be his last. 

Lane watched him go, and partly hated herself for what she was about to do, but her unrequited secret love for him couldn't let him suffer this alone. Tugging out her cell phone, she gently parted her kitchen blind and watched Kent climb into Klein's Volkswagen, while she waited for a tone.   
  
Pete Ross rolled over and glanced at his bedside clock, then groggily answered the chiming phone. "Aww man, days like this I wish I wasn't Mayor..." He grumbled as he sat upright, and checked exactly who the call was from. Seeing Detective Lane was the one to rouse him from his slumber, he abruptly became concerned. "Lois, is everything alright?" 

Lane paused. When she had first been partnered with Clark, she had never met Metropolis' Mayor, nor had she had the urge too, politicians just weren't her forte. Since then however, Pete had convinced her on their numerous meetings, that honesty really was a virtue he still had, mayor or not. Now, for Clark's sake she owed him nothing less in return. 

"It's Clark, he needs you Pete. He's dying..." 

Pete wanted to laugh, wanted to tell her his alien farm boy chum couldn't die, but instead at Lois tearful tone he almost dropped the phone with trepidation. Ross knew she wasn't joking, Lois wasn't the type, and that could only leave one alternative. His voice shook as he asked the obvious questions. "Where are you? What's going on? I'm grabbing my coat..." 

"Listen, I need a favor Pete. Can you find Chloe? Clark doesn't want her to know yet, but I know my cousin, she'll want to be with him. We'll be back in Smallville, I'll explain everything there." Sighing, Lois flipped her phone closed. She didn't have time for all the questions she was sure Pete was about to fire at her, and the only solution was to end the conversation, before it all became too much and she began to sob. A rogue tear already fell from her face, and she suspected it would be the first of many to come, on this the worst day of her life...   
  
  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

  
  
Smallville Four Hours Earlier...  
A Back Road Near The Luthorcorp Plant   
  
The armored, black Rolls Royce sat amongst the blowing tumbleweeds, blending in perfectly with the dark Kansas night. It hadn't moved for over an hour, while its influential occupant watched trucks trundle to and fro from Lucas Luthor's latest venture. The mini-tankers bore no markings, no company insignia, but then their cargo was far too deadly to acknowledge with a logo. 

Vuong Ishii Kazuku needn't have visited the site personally to watch, but when he suspected a double cross, he liked to deal with the individual face-to-face. There was no evidence yet that Lucas was reneging on their deal, but it was also clearly apparent he had staged Tanner's murder back in Metropolis, and had the full intent of framing Kazuku and his people for it. 

Vuong tapped the Plexiglas that separated the driver's compartment. "Move in closer, no lights..." 

The huge car slid forward, and satisfied he had a better view, Kazuku resettled himself to his thoughts. Spies deep within Luthorcorp were suggesting Luthor would sell the merchandise to the highest bidder, despite his agreement that Vuong should be the sole recipient. From all these truck movements, Luthor was looking more and more capable of doing just that. _Terrorists may bid the highest in cold hard cash Lucas, but in the end you shall be the one to pay the highest price with your life, should you deceive me. _

A vision of carving up his business partner, inch by inch, with a finely crafted blade made Kazuku's tanned features grin with pleasure. No one stood in his way, ever, and that meant Lucas and all who consorted with him...   
  
  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

  
  
The Kent Farm    
  
Martha Kent hurried around the kitchen, busying herself with all the daily chores she had come to do routinely each day. Dishes needed washing, meals needed preparing, and produce orders needed making up, ready for her husband to deliver. 

To the untrained eye, she carried about her business as if nothing was wrong, but to Jonathan she was the most frantic he had ever seen her. Gently he moved beside her as she worked and wrapped a loving arm around her waist, pulling her head to his chest with his free hand. 

He gulped involuntarily. "It's time I made the trip into town honey, but don't worry, I'm sure Clark has a perfectly innocent reason for wanting the key." 

Martha gazed up into his eyes, and he was reminded of the day they had once been told they'd never have kids. It was the same devastated look that was on her face now. "Then why didn't he make the call himself?" Martha dug her hands tightly into Jonathan's shirt, needing him to reassure her. "Why are they using a helicopter to fly out here?" 

"Mom?" Karyn Kent's innocent form padded into the room, somehow sensing her mother's distress, and wanting to understand it. When Martha didn't reply she looked up to Jonathan for answers, her tiny forehead wrinkling as she raised a brow. "What's wrong Dad?" 

"Nothing Sweetie," Jonathan tenderly pried from Martha's grasp, and bent his tall frame low enough to look his daughter in the eye. "I'm just going into town. What say you come with me in the pickup, give your mom a few minutes to herself?" 

Karyn considered it, her young mind smart enough to know something was still gravely wrong, and that she should do as her father asked without question. "Sure..." She grabbed Jonathan's hand, then glanced back momentarily to where Martha had been standing. 

Strangely, the kitchen was now quite empty, and for once the normally inquisitive little girl didn't ask why her mother had vanished. Something big was going on, and Karyn Suzann Kent had seen enough in Smallville to know it wasn't anything good.   
  
Martha watched as the old pickup kicked up dirt, leaving a dust cloud behind as it bounced down the lane. She hadn't been able to face Karyn in the kitchen; in fact she hadn't wanted to face anyone, because try as she might she couldn't stop the tears from flowing in abundance. Clark was in trouble, and if he needed the key it meant he was either hurt, or ill. _What if Lois doesn't get him here in time? What if the ship can't do it again?_

The distraught parent looked up into the clouds, as the sound of approaching rotors signaled her son's imminent arrival. It was odd to think of him arriving in some man made machine this way, when usually he could swoop from the heavens under his own power, graceful and protecting. _Oh God Clark, Please let me be wrong..._   



	5. Memento Mori 2: Requiem Part 5

  
  
I don't know what else to say, other than Thank You as ever for reading!   
  
  
Lois Lane helped her tired partner onto the old family couch, then took a seat in a nearby rocking chair. It was cozy here, just like she had always imagined the Kent home to be; a throwback to better days when the world was far more sublime and unsullied. She could just envisage Clark here, growing up and realizing that outside Smallville life wasn't like this anymore, and that maybe he could make a difference and change that. 

"Do I look that bad?" Clark's blue-green eyes danced momentarily as he saw Lois in deep thought, and wondered just what was going on in the darkest abyss of her mind. Then he lay back as Martha re-entered the room, and insisted on covering him with several blankets till he was almost smothered. 

"You look fine," Lois lied blatantly. "Just get a few hours sleep and we can get to work figuring this thing out. Okay?" Feeling almost as maternal as Martha, the young cop couldn't stifle the urge to tug the blankets just that little bit higher, till they reached right under his chin. 

Clark smiled, suddenly grateful of her presence, then snuggled in as best he could, considering the writhing sensation that coursed through every cell in his body. After just a minute his fatigued eyes slipped closed, and he dozed under the watchful eyes of both Martha and his partner. 

"What is it that Mr. Kent needs to get from the bank so urgently?" Lois' mind couldn't help but wonder just what would drive a father to leave his dying son so easily. "Shouldn't he be here with Clark?" Her expectant stare bored deep into the doting mother's eyes, searching for the truth. 

Martha squirmed; she had never wanted her son to reveal so much to Chloe's cousin, but he was a grown man, and had made the choice on his own to tell her about all his abilities. _"Mom, I spend every day working with her, and she already knows about some of the things I can do! If I'm to do any good out there on the streets, she has to know the rest. I don't need to tell her how I can do all these things; she already thinks I'm a meteor freak..."_

"There's something we can try..." Martha wiped moisture from her already reddening cheeks, about to try and explain, then jolted bolt upright in her seat as someone rapped on the door unexpectedly. 

The vigorous knocking saved her from further explanation, but caused a deeper dread when Martha saw the whirling lights of a local cop car through the opaque door glass. _Oh Lord, not Adams at a time like this... _

Reluctantly, Martha clicked off the latch, and swung open the aged wood to reveal a uniformed stranger. "Is there a problem officer?" She asked, just a little too curtly. 

"I hope not ma'am." The accompanying smile couldn't help but warm Martha's aching heart. "It's just that, other than the Luthors, we don't see too many choppers around these parts, and someone reported seeing one land in your back field." The cop indicated with a jerk of her thumb in the approximate direction. "Seeing as I'm new in these parts, I thought I better come over and check it out." 

Inside Martha sighed with relief, then realized she had no clue what to say. "It brought my son home; he's not been too well of late..." The sentence came out before she even thought about it, and hoping for no further queries, she threw a question of her own. "Where's Sheriff Adams?" 

The thirty-something brunette cop shook her head. "I'm afraid she was involved in an R.T. A. over on the edge of the county. I'm standing in as acting sheriff till she either returns, or Lowell County appoints a new peace officer." With a polite nod she tucked a thumb under her belt and turned back to her patrol vehicle. "Sure hope Clark is feeling better soon..." 

"You know him?" Martha was both surprised and concerned. 

The woman turned back and smiled so hard her pure white teeth sparkled in the light, and her worldly hazel eyes danced like flames. "Not personally, but any respectable cop's heard of the guy who solved the Rain man case Mrs. Kent! If there's anything I can do for your son while he's in town, just gimme a call. " She offered her hand, "I'm Sheriff Linda Walters ma'am." 

"Thank you, it was nice of you to bother to call." Martha gave a desultory smile back, and wished she had more time to meet the new town protector. They hadn't really gotten off on the best footing, but already she preferred the younger, much politer version of law enforcement that Walters portrayed, compared to Adams. 

"She's nothing like the ogre Clark told me was sheriff here..." Lois popped her head around the doorframe as the muddied cop car pulled away. "In fact, maybe this new gal can help us get into Luthorcorp before it's too late..." Her last words came out ominous, like a black cloud appearing in an unadulterated blue sky. 

Martha whirled, observing the inflection in Lois voice. "Something's happened hasn't it?" Without waiting for a reply she barreled back into the house and headed straight for the couch. Lois was still younger and faster though, and just managed to cut her off, spinning her around with one arm before she could get to Clark. 

"I just thought he was sleeping, but Klein says it's more...he thinks he's slipped into a coma..." Lois hugged Martha hard as yet more sobs came from the mother. At police academy they had been prepared for telling relatives the worst, but right now it was doing nothing to stop the distress and anger Lois felt. _Lucas will pay for this... _

The door clicked again, and this time Jonathan reappeared, shortly followed by Karyn. In their sorrow, they hadn't even heard the pickup approach, or the metallic slam of its cab doors. Now at her husband's presence, Martha visibly livened, running into his arms as if he were some kind of savior. 

"Oh Jonathan, Thank God, Please tell me you have it?" 

Jonathan Kent screwed his eyes closed and bit deep into his own lip. "Honey, our deposit box was empty..."   
  
  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

  
An Hour Later...   
  
Martha hadn't said anything in over fifty minutes. She simply sat by her son's side, ignoring the people around her as if they didn't exist. Jonathan had never seen her like this before in all their years of marriage, and at one point he had even considered calling a doctor out to her. Klein might have medical knowledge, but in situations like this he just had no clue how to handle a distressed mother. To his credit, the little man had done his best for both parent and son, and in the end they couldn't really bring in a doctor for Martha, not without answering some harsh questions about Clark. 

Jonathan sat up as he heard the droning approach of yet another car, and knew just who to expect. As he reached the door, the sight of his daughter in law storming up the path brought a new hope to him. If anyone was strong enough to help solve this puzzle now, it was Chloe. She would do it for Clark; no matter how upset she was, because her love knew no bounds. Behind her, looking equally resolute was Pete Ross. 

"What's going on Mr. Kent? I got a frantic call from Lois..." Pete tugged off his overcoat and placed it on the back of a chair, looking at Jonathan for all important answers. Chloe ignored them both, preferring to race to her husband's side, and ask questions later. 

"Someone poisoned Clark..." Carefully he tugged Pete out of Lois' earshot, "and it gets worse. The ship's key is gone Pete! Whoever is behind this knows far too much, and frankly every one of us is agreed on just who that is..." Jonathan rubbed a hand across his unshaven face out of nervous habit, and deep seated fear. "For once in our lives Martha and I are just so helpless..." 

Pete tapped Jonathan's arm reassuringly. "We'll figure something out, we always do." Then dejectedly he walked to his deteriorating friend, who lay so hopelessly still on the couch. There were no more words to say, no more hope to give. 

As he crossed the room, Chloe turned from Clark's side, gazing at them all suddenly with a look of antipathy. _They all just stand here, how can they just leave him like this without even trying?_ In her soul she knew the Kents would gladly die for their son, as would she, but her own fears were taking hold with a vengeance, and all she could see now was defeat. _I waited so long for Clark, we've been through so much together, and now, now that I'm..._Tears swelled, as her eyes became puffy with a mixture of both undying love and terror, but Chloe refused to cry. Crying meant she was scared, crying meant losing Clark, and there had to be an alternative to that scenario. 

Tenderly Chloe flicked a stray lock of hair from his face, and realized for the first time that he had let it grow just that little bit longer; the way she liked it. She remembered teasing him over it, and he had laughed, saying long haired cops just weren't 'en vogue' this year. Chloe wanted to see that grin again, that oh so innocent smile and flash of white teeth, that had never changed from his childhood. _I have to take charge, I have to show them we can still beat this thing...Someone needs to show some courage for you Clark, and I guess it has to be me... _

Finally letting go her vice-like grip on his lifeless hand, Chloe rubbed the moisture from her eyes, and decided to stand tall and do what she did best. "I don't understand all of this yet, but one thing I do know is Clark wouldn't be standing around like this if one of us was dying." The embittered wife rose to her feet and looked from parents to friends, one at a time. "You've all gathered in here like some wake before he's even dead!" Throwing her arms in the air angrily, she turned to Lois. "I want to know everything, and NOW!" 

Shaken and surprised, Lois realized her cousin was correct. They had all had given in to the inevitable without as much as a fight. Nodding the cop escorted Chloe to the dining table, shortly followed by both Pete and Jonathan. Only Martha never moved from her bedside vigil, with Klein close by for support should she need him. 

Jonathan looked back to her as he pulled out a heavy pine chair; if anything happened to Clark he was afraid he would lose Martha too, and neither thought was one he wanted to dwell on. Crossing his arms he nodded for Lois to start her story, clarifying what had happened in every detail. Once she had finished the account, he looked back to Chloe for a reaction, or for some sign of what she was going through. There were no tears, and no tantrums as she cried 'Why us' like a normal wife would. Instead, the tiny blonde reporter seemingly went into overdrive, her inner strength letting her view this as simply another case she could solve in the nick of time. 

"We need to get a lead on this e-mail. If Clark thought it was important, we should try and get inside Luthorcorp and start digging."Chloe pushed back on her chair, "Pete, you coming?" 

The Metropolis Mayor gaped at how quickly Chloe was moving. "Now wait, I agree we should do something, but your place is here with Clark! I'll go see what I can dig up; I still have some of my 'Torch' skills you know..." He smiled softly, "I'm sure Lois and I can handle it." 

Lois rubbed her eyes, as lack of sleep began to tell on her normally acute senses, then she concurred with Pete sentiments with a 'don't even think about it' look straight at her cousin. "Pete's right, you should stay here, we'll do this. It's a police matter and it could get dangerous. I don't want to find myself with two casualties!" 

"We don't have the time to argue, and there's too much ground to cover." Chloe's agitation was clear in her sharp tone, "I'll meet you half way. Pete and I will check out those addresses in the P.D.A. You check out the Luthorcorp lead." To show she wasn't going to back down this time, the journalist grabbed her purse and headed straight for the door. 

As she exited, she looked back only once to Jonathan Kent, and in that second the father saw Chloe's true feelings clearer than he ever had. The hard attitude she had adopted was purely a defense mechanism, and once that failed she would slam back to reality with an immense and immeasurable crash. Already the sparkle had gone from her eyes as surely as it had from Clark's, extinguished by the tide of dread that they all were sensing. "Call me if there's any change..." The words were monotone and flat, indicating it was probably a call she wouldn't want to answer, and one she still hoped to prevent. 

He nodded, finding no reassuring reply to give, and as Pete left the house too, Jonathan finally knew what he would do if their undertaking to save Clark failed. _All my life I taught Clark restraint, taught him to be a better man in every situation, and for what?_ The disillusioned father looked to the cabinet where the farm's old shotgun was kept, his eyes never leaving its aged wooden stock, and dull metallic barrel. His mind wasn't thinking straight, too many emotions bombarding his already fatigued brain. _One way or another Luthor, you'll pay for what you've done in this world..._   
  
  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

  
  
  
Main Road Into Smallville...    
  
Lex Luthor had spent over five years with his engineers, helping them hone the vehicle he had asked them to produce to perfection. It had been an arduous task, because nothing less than poetry in motion would be accepted. Now though, as he roared towards Smallville, the one of a kind Interceptor was proving worthy of its four million dollar price tag. It was the fastest car anywhere, and Lex had no qualms about its top speed being highly illegal... in any country. In fact right now, he just might break his own record. 

"Don't you think you're pushing it a little?" Lex's female passenger flinched visibly, as the black car's wheels almost left the road, then juddered with the effort to stay horizontal as it hurtled through a sharp slippery bend. 

Luthor never let his eyes leave the road, pushing the vehicle for more speed than even it could give. "On any other day doctor I'd confess to still having boyish indulgences, but with my friend's life at stake, I'm sure you can understand my urgency." 

Berman shook her head, wisps of her long flowing blonde hair falling across her face in the backlash of air from the window. "I still think you should ease off, neither of us will do Clark any good if we're road kill!" To show her annoyance, the thirty nine year old geneticist powered down the window more, till the intense road noise became irritating even to Lex. 

Daring to look over as he slowed to just over one hundred, Lex saw a glint of amusement on Berman's usually stoic face. "I can tell you're a woman who's used to getting your own way. I just hope you're worthy of it..." 

The blonde cocked her head, becoming more staid at the thought of what lay ahead. "I'll do my best Lex, you know that, haven't I in the past?" Somberly she raised her window up, and sat back in her seat, pinching her nose in abrupt concentration. 

Lex saw the move, even though he kept his own mind on the road, and realized he had upset someone he couldn't afford to. Berman was the best in her field, an expert in molecular biology and genetic engineering, she was also the most dedicated scientist he'd ever met, even more so than Klein. "I'm sorry..." It wasn't something a Luthor said very often, but Lex felt the need for a heartfelt apology. As he said it, he understood why, and that it wasn't just for Clark. _I think I'm actually falling for her... _

"Tell that to the cop in your rearview!" A wry smile appeared, indicating the scientist had never been offended in the first place, "I suggest you take my earlier advice though and slow down some more..." 

Lex considered it. _If Adams is her usual wiseass self, I could be stuck out here answering questions while Clark lies dying, on the other hand..._Shifting down a gear, the millionaire slowed, subconsciously giving into Berman's wishes without even appreciating he had. In his mirror he watched as the police cruiser gradually caught up to them, then pulled up behind, lights rotating. 

"I'm sure you'll appreciate Smallville's sheriff, she's so welcoming..." 

Lex's sarcasm wasn't lost on his passenger, and she turned expectedly in her seat to see what the fuss was all about. As Berman pulled down her shades to get a look at the legendary Kansas tyrant, she guessed her boss was going to be a little disappointed. "Isn't she a bit young to be this Adams person?" 

Lex didn't have time to answer, because the cop was expectantly tapping for him to lower the window. "Kind of in a hurry there weren't we Mr. Luthor? I think you baffled my speed camera, darn thing may never work again..." 

"I have a sick friend..." 

"Uh huh, that's what they all say when they get caught sir." The cop tugged out a pad ready to write out a ticket, then suddenly paused to glance at Lex's passenger. "Supposing I was to believe you, why would a sick friend give you the right to drive recklessly?" 

"He's a cop, and he's dying, and right now you're holding us up!" Berman stared intently for a second, then let her gaze fall to the car floor when she realized she'd gone too far. 

Lex continued for her, albeit it in a somewhat calmer manner, hoping not to have to divulge too much more information. "My friend is Detective Kent, you might know him, he lives nearby? He's been ill recently, and so I've brought Doctor Berman in..." 

"Whoa! Say no more!" The brunette cop abruptly stuffed her pen away, and leaned in closer, shocking Lex by offering her hand. "I was out at the Kents earlier, Martha told me Clark was sick, but I didn't know it was this bad. I'm acting Sheriff Walters by the way..." 

"Listen, I'd love to sit and chat, but Clark?" Lex's raised a brow, but still couldn't believe what was happening. A compassionate cop was something that didn't exist...except for Clark maybe. 

Walters nodded, "I guess maybe my equipment was faulty, so you weren't speeding after all..." She winked roguishly, "you just make sure you take care of Clark Kent...Oh and maybe one other thing?" 

Lex waited anxiously, looking at his gold Rolex to try and imply it better be quick, but the sheriff turned her attention to Berman, ignoring his alacrity. "Ma'am, would you mind driving the rest of the way? It's just I heard Mr. Luthor here once had a nasty accident on Loeb bridge, and well I'd hate for anything like that to happen again in his haste..." 

The geneticist had to grin; it was nice to find a woman that was like herself... respectable, and most definitely not intimidated by Lex. "I'd be glad too." She climbed over, making the millionaire swap seats, and groan at the thought of a female in charge of his 'baby'. Were he not trying to save a life, he would never have allowed himself to be manipulated this way. 

"Ya'll drive carefully now." Walters raised a hand and watched them off, then climbed into her cruiser and headed back the way she had come. If nothing else today was sure proving an interesting one...   
  
Berman looked as the cruiser's taillights vanished over the horizon in her mirror, and then surprised Lex by slamming on the gas, almost as hard as he had. In the lab, the bald businessman had no doubt of her skills, but in his Interceptor he was skeptical... although only for a second. 

"Where did you learn to drive like this?" He watched every fluid gear change with admiration, noting how the vehicle seemed to respond to her touch even more so than his, "I thought you didn't like speed..." 

"I only like it when I know I'm in control, and as you said earlier, Clark can't wait. If Walters thinking I'll do a better job gets us there quicker, then I'm all for it..." Gently she gripped the wheel, and then braked perceptively as they approached another bend. 

"I have to admit, I like Walters better than Adams, she even looks better..." Lex waited for a reaction to his typically male comment, but got none. Instead he found himself thrown forward into his seatbelt by gravity, as Berman suddenly threw the steering wheel hard over in a desperate evasive move. 

Throwing his hand up, Lex felt his heart begin to pound in his chest as his mind expected an impact or severe skid. None came, and when he blinked he realized they had narrowly missed a diversion sign, and a recently excavated section of the highway. Cones marked off the area, as well as several brightly painted barriers, but for the time of day the place was strangely abandoned. There was no machinery to be seen, just simple warnings and a board indicating the new route to take. Lex didn't like the feelings the scene brought back to him. _It's like getting on the plane with Helen all over again, I know something's wrong, but I can't tell what, and I'm powerless to stop it...   
  
  
_


	6. Memento Mori 2: Requiem Part 6

  
  
  
  
"Strange there are no workers at this time of day, and on the primary route into town..." Slightly shaken he took stock of the situation, wondering if he could trust the woman at his side. What if Lucas had corrupted her? What if the only woman he had truly begun to feel anything for, was deceiving him yet again? 

"Maybe it's their break, who knows? What I do know is, if you'd have been driving we'd be Smallville pâté by now!" Berman appeared to suspect nothing, at least on the surface; although from her expression she was more distressed then she cared to admit. "Let's get moving, for Clark's sake..." Hands trembling on the stick shift, she restarted the stalled engine, and channeled her shattered nerves into some kind of order.   
  
The route the sign said they should take looked ominously disturbing to Lex. It was obviously little used, and with the county's recent rainfall, it was more dirt track than road. Mud puddles seemed to converge over the surface, making any high speed maneuvers they made extremely hazardous. If it hadn't been for Clark he would have asked Berman to turn around, but for now he kept silent as the scientist turned onto the back road, wheels already sliding as she ramped up their speed again. 

"Do you know this road? I have no clue where we're going..." The blonde turned fleetingly to her passenger, and then selected the next gear as she reached maximum revs. _Maybe I should let Lex drive again...?_

"The Kent place isn't..." Lex's words cut off as a cracking sound pre-empted the splintering of the car's windscreen. Slivers of the normally impenetrable glass flew backwards, showering both occupants, as numerous high density slugs tore into the Interceptor. 

The car swerved wildly as Berman lost control, and its wheels skidded on the already treacherous road surface. Then as it began to aquaplane further, the far wheel impacted with the nearby grass verge, tossing the high-class vehicle onto its toughened roof. Any normal car would have crushed in with the force of the collision, but Lex's expensive design had luckily paid off. 

The Interceptor slid several yards upturned, then came to rest as it nudged into a telephone pole, ripping it from the ground and severing the overhead cables. The rear wheels roared furiously in midair as the gas peddle remained depressed a few short seconds, then the driver's lifeless foot slumped from the accelerator, giving the car a respite from further torture.   
  
Lex awakened to find his head squashed sideways against the plush roof lining. A few inches more and he guessed maybe his neck would have been broken. As it was, he suspected he would be requiring more than his fair share of stitches, to his very bald cranium. 

Dazed, he moved every part of himself experimentally, then blinked when he recalled what had happened. _It wasn't an accident, someone shot at us with some pretty heavy ordnance..._Suddenly remembering why he was here, and that the woman he was with might need help, Lex began fumbling with the latch of his seatbelt. "Dr Berman?" There was no response, and the harder he struggled with the belt, the more his fingers shook. "Dr Berman..." 

"She can't hear you Luthor..." The passenger door creaked open with a harsh whine as metal ground on metal, and a masked figure's head poked into the compartment. "In fact I doubt she'll ever hear anyone again. Lucky for you I have a need for information you have..." 

Lex strained to see who was speaking to him, but the blood seeping from his head wound had filled his eyes, disguising any already hidden features further. "What do you want?" It was a simple question, and all that his traumatized brain could come up with. 

A chortle came from his tormentor, and the person leaned back out of the car, pulling at his bruised frame to follow. When he resisted slightly, a 9mm Glock 18 appeared, urging him the rest of the way. Lex stumbled as he fell from the crumpled car, his knees sinking into the wet soil like it was quicksand, but his captor didn't care. 

The handgun was ungraciously stuffed in his face, "I warn you, I don't have much patience Lex. Move, or eat a little lead like your good doctor friend back there." The automatic motioned back to the Interceptor briefly, and Lex followed its aim, expecting to see the worst. 

Berman's immobile body was suspended in an inverted position, held fast by the seatbelt straps, and forward airbag. Her bloodied arms hung limply downwards, as blood oozed from an entry wound in her chest, then pooled in the car's headlining. She had been innocent after all, and had now become a victim simply because she belonged in the same circle as Lex. _I killed her by bringing her in on this, and now there's no hope for Clark either..._ Lex stared at the woman he had just begun to love, his mind twisting in both shock and sudden, immense hatred for the one who had caused this. 

"You'll die when this is over..." His bleary eyes filled with revulsion as he looked up at his captor, and even though he knew he may not live to see another day, Lex Luthor had every intention of at least taking this bastard to hell with him...   
  
  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

  
  
The Daily Planet  
Chloe's Office....   
  
Pete Ross glanced up from the laptop he was working on and frowned. He had just flown back from Smallville in Lex's helicopter, and although the journey hadn't been a long one, Chloe hadn't said a word. Now she sat at her desk, engrossed in several databases she had no legal access to, and still she remained expressionless. Her silence bothered him, because it was so uncharacteristic of her. In all their time together as teens, Chloe was the most outspoken and forthright person he had known, and for her to be this quiet, meant her façade of bravery was already slipping. 

"Chloe, are you sure you wouldn't be better off being with Clark? I can easily dig up the addresses from Tanner's handheld and check them out..." Pete looked at his old friend sympathetically, wishing for once she would just let go and cry. It was what she needed right now, but he knew until she had exhausted all avenues of research, that she never would. 

"I have to do this Pete, there are things...things you don't..." A tiny crack in her voice made her pause to get a grip, but this time she couldn't. This was Pete she was talking to, the guy who had known about Clark before anyone else, if she couldn't let go in front of him then... 

Pete saw the glistening in her eyes that marked the onset of tears, and instantly left his office chair to be at her side. Wrapping an arm around her trembling body, he pulled her close. "It's okay Chloe; just let it all out..." He held her for a moment, and then pulled away slightly, leaning for the phone. "I'll arrange for you to go be with Clark, it's where you should be, not here." 

"Oh Pete...if only you knew...but I can't go back, not until I've solved this!" More tears came, but with them a resolution that shocked the Metropolis mayor. 

Pete screwed his face up and shook his head, not understanding her crazed logic. "Chloe! Clark could die! What's wrong with you for heavens sake?" 

The sudden, sharp choice of words hit home where it hurt most, and the wounded wife retaliated without thinking. "I'm pregnant! I'm having Clark's baby and he might not live to see it!" She screamed the answer at her long time friend, then pushed her head in her hands and began to sob. _I wanted Clark so much, I wanted this kid so much, and now..._

Pete gaped, lost for words as the significance of what Chloe had said sank in. What could he say to console her? What could he do to possibly alleviate the pressure she must be under? There was nothing save holding her tighter, and waiting for her weeping to abate. 

"Clark doesn't know does he?" Pete finally asked. 

When her eyes could give no more tears Chloe squinted, rubbing the back of her hand across her face before answering. "No." She whispered, "I didn't want to tell him until I was sure, and now he'll never know..." 

"Yes he will Chloe, we'll make sure he gets to hear his baby's first cry. Now come on, let's get to work. If anyone can solve this we can, Lois is working on it from her end too remember, and Lex." Now that Pete knew Chloe's reasoning, it was hard to push her back to Smallville to sit idly by, and if staying here made her feel like she was at least trying, then he would stay too even though he suspected their hunt was futile. "Now, have you found anything in your search...?" He soothed. 

Chloe inhaled, gathering her thoughts before even attempting to answer. On any other day, she would have sifted through the files and data like a whirlwind, but today her concentration had gone. Twisting around her monitor she tried again, this time sharing her findings as she went along. 

The addresses from Tanner's handheld seemed nothing more than fronts for two pharmaceutical companies, and a bio-chemistry lab on the outskirts of the city. Everything appeared legal and above board, with no apparent connections they could use to help Clark. 

"Can't you dig deeper, maybe access the company records and computer systems of these places?" Pete knew it was something she had been adept at, even in their 'Torch' days at High School. 

Chloe sighed. "I can, but if they're up to anything even remotely evil it won't be kept where I can find it..." She tapped at the keys anyway, circumventing security codes to enter restricted access areas. "Mmn, there's nothing here..." 

Pete moved closer, tapping the screen. "What about checking employees? Maybe a familiar face or name might come up?" 

Without hesitating Chloe followed his reasoning. "Whoa you're right...look at this!" She clicked on the mouse, enlarging her find to fill the screen. "This company seems totally clean, but they do have one of their top scientists on loan to a subsidiary of Luthorcorp! She's been there for some time too..." 

The disgruntled mayor agreed with her suspicions. As he checked the personnel record on the mysterious Doctor Rybec, he realized it read like a recipe of everything needed to kill Clark. "Oh Lord...look at her credentials Chloe. She specializes in bio-engineering, bio-chemistry..." 

Chloe hammered at her keyboard, ignoring Pete's awed tone. "What I want to find is an address for her. She has to live somewhere, and I intend to find her!" More thunderous tapping, followed by a triumphant slap on the desk signaled she had, but the revelations didn't end there. "Oh my God Pete..." The frenetic reporter's jaw dropped open, and she gawked at her own discovery. "There's a photo with this file..." 

Pete leaned over, at first not recognizing the face that had probably signed Clark's death warrant. Then, as facts clicked into place in his mind, he realized that sometimes a person's past really could come back to haunt them...   
  
  
  



	7. Memento Mori 2:Requiem Part 7

You have all been so wonderful, and patient too! Thanks a million. Here's a little more, but we've quite a rollercoster ride before this is over :)   
  
  
  
The Kent Farm.   
  
Karyn sat in the corner unobtrusively observing. She fidgeted, looking down at her hands, but not knowing what to do or say in the presence of strangers. She had been there all morning, just watching as her big brother lay ill on the couch with Martha by his side, and the two new people hovering near. Karyn wanted to go over too; she wanted to jump on him and thump him, telling him to get up and stop playing dead, like he had when she had been younger. _Clark isn't teasing this time though, what if he never gets up again? How can he even be sick?_

As Karyn chewed her thumb in fear, she began to cry to herself, hoping no one would notice. 

"Karyn..." The little girl turned and looked up, her baby blue eyes begging for answers like some scolded puppy, and Martha was finally there to give them. "Come here honey..." 

Scooping her daughter up, the overwrought mom headed for the kitchen, and hoped she could somehow explain what was going on. In the background, she heard Jonathan beginning to quiz the quirky little doctor named Klein. He seemed a nice man, but he worked for a Luthor, and even after all this time, her husband still had his reservations about that name. 

"Just where the hell is your boss?" The irate farmer asked, trying to keep his voice down and failing. "I thought Lex was going for help, and then getting straight back here? What's the matter, some important business meeting supersede my son's life?" 

He flew question after question at the nervous scientist, who had no where to back off to, and no answers to give. "I can only imagine he's doing his best for Clark, Mr. Kent. Lex isn't half as bad as people think..." Klein stammered out a response, then looked to the phone sat on a nearby table. "Perhaps I could try calling him?" 

Jonathan grabbed the handset and forced it on the squirming scientist. "Be my guest, and when you get through be sure to tell him what I think of him..." 

Klein's moustache twitched and he flinched, imagining what this farmer's temper would have been like in his younger days. After composing himself, and recalling the special number he held for Lex, Klein picked up the phone to his ear and began to dial. When he paused halfway through, Jonathan knew there was a problem. 

"There's no tone...Your phone isn't working Mr. Kent." Klein shrugged. "No wonder Lex hasn't called! And I don't have a cell phone for him to ring..." 

"He has my number though," Lois joined in the conversation, suddenly finding it more pertinent than the e-mail she had spent over an hour scrutinizing. "He could let me know, or you can at least try calling him from it..." 

The cop offered up her Nokia, and Klein took it, dialing speedily before Jonathan could give another terse comment. This time there was a tone, but after several rings an automated message repeated on the line. _The number you have dialed is unavailable. The cell phone maybe switched off, or in a no service area. Please try again later. _

Klein didn't like what he was hearing. Lex never switched off his phone, and there should have been a signal. Reluctantly he shook his head at the expectant father, and passed Lane back her phone. "Still nothing..." He admitted. 

"Tell that to Clark!" Jonathan took one last glance at Klein, then turned his back and stormed brusquely into the kitchen to his wife and daughter. 

"He doesn't mean it." Lois assured. "But for any parent to go through this..." Klein gestured towards his patient, looking even more forlorn. "I know what you mean, but Mr. Kent is right, I'm useless, and Lex has vanished. Clark's getting worse too, he has a temperature now, and I can't get it down. He has a day at most, maybe less..." 

Lois had already noticed, but some inner part of her had ignored the signs. They said love was blind, and for once Lane wished it was. _You can't die dammit, I won't let you! I love you!_ The thought flashed across her mind as she gazed sadly at Clark, then with a resolution she didn't even know she had, she stood up and grabbed the Kent's truck keys from the table. 

"Where are you going? You can't just up and leave too, we need to know where you are!" Klein looked panic stricken as Lois rushed for the main door, and he raced after her as fast as his aging body allowed. Catching her sleeve just as she dived into the afternoon sun, he pulled her back, just for a second. "Lois, I may be getting old, but I'm no fool. I saw the look in your eye back there. You love him don't you?" 

Surprised, Lane paused, but could give no answer. "Tell the Kents I needed their pickup, police business..." 

Klein huffed and caught back his breath. "I know how you feel, but you can't do this alone." A thought struck him, and his eyes widened, "your going after Lucas aren't you? Don't be a fool!" 

Lois smiled wryly. "Like I said police business..." Then as an afterthought, she looked back at she climbed into the farm truck's cab. "You're right doctor, I do love him, and I guess underneath I always have, without even knowing it. I won't let him die without a fight! And if we both live through today, I'll still never tell him how I feel...He's happy with Chloe, and I'm happy for them..." 

The scientist watched as Lane slammed her door shut and sped away, then made a choice of his own. Clark was dying, Lex was missing, and Lane was on a one woman crusade to rid the world of Lucas Luthor. While ever he stayed here, Klein was the one who felt inadequate, because he was. 

Eying the Kent kitchen, he noted all three family members were sharing a quiet moment, and decided now was the time to depart. Silently he scribbled them a hasty note, explaining where their truck was, what was happening to their son, and that he was going back to the lab to try and help. He only hoped that they would understand, and not think he had deserted them along with everyone else, right when Clark needed them most...   
  
  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

  
  
  
A Darkened Room  
Somewhere...   
  
The room smelled oily, like some old greasy garage workshop, and the odor aggravated Lex nostrils to the extreme. Perhaps it was the distinct smell that first jolted his senses back to reality, or perhaps whatever he had been given had finally worked out of his system. Either way, as he tried to open his eyes, he found them hypersensitive to even the smallest amount of light. _How long have I been out? What the hell did they spray in my face? _

The millionaire looked around, finding his eyes still clogged with congealed blood from his head wound. His skull pounded now, like some repetitive bass line from a rock anthem; the droning filling his ears as well as his mind. Lex attempted to ignore it, focusing on finding a way out, or at least a reason why he was being held captive. 

There were no clues to the location of his darkened tomb; in fact the only piece of furniture was the old wooden chair he was fastened to. Lex squirmed on it, testing his bonds to their limits. His captor was no fool though, and he had been cuffed both hands and feet to the seat...there would be no loosening of these restraints for an escape. At best, Lex could shuffle across the floor still secured to his seat, and that would get him nowhere, there weren't even any windows to see out of. 

"Interesting view isn't it?" The voice sounded electronic, like some ancient T.V. show robot, and Lex guessed his kidnapper was using a device to mask their true self. "Don't you wonder why you're not dead yet?" 

Lex strained to turn and catch a glimpse of his tormentor, but the person stepped quickly back into the shadows, hiding even their size and weight from view. "I wouldn't have taken you as an introvert, hiding yourself in obscurity." He taunted. 

"Ah, but Lex, I don't usually have a need to hide. I kill my prey before they even begin to realize there is anything wrong. If my employer didn't have questions for you, you would be just another statistic with the rest." There was a pause, and the tiny overhead light flickered out, plunging the room into complete darkness. "Now I think it's time for you to do the talking..." 

Lex felt someone grab the flesh at the nape of his neck and yank hard, pulling him so far back that the chair toppled over, and he bounced helplessly to the concrete floor with it. The impact jarred his spine, sending spikes of pain along his back and into the base of his skull like thorny barbs. He lay winded, but silent, till a booted heel found the pit of his stomach several times at high speed. 

"What do you want?" He finally coughed out, spitting blood as he attempted to catch a breath before the next onslaught. 

"What did you hope to gain by ruining Luthorcorp shares?" The metallic accent snarled. "How much do you know about my superior's new venture? Who else have you told what you know, besides Kent?" 

Lex laughed, coughing more. "How am I supposed to know who your boss is?" The insolence cost him dearly, even though he knew full well his younger brother was behind the charade. 

Another round of kicking left the millionaire barely conscious, but still no less determined. 

His kidnapper had expected no less of him, and was prepared to work all night, maybe even longer before they stopped the torture if necessary. "I'll ask again, what do you know about Lucas' latest project? Think carefully how you answer, or you'll end up like your good friend Clark..." 

"You'll kill me anyway, and I swear you better make it fast...because if not, you'll be the one paying..." Lex peered into the gloom, his ice cold eyes searching out his captor with a hatred he hadn't felt in a long time. 

Even though he couldn't see their face, he prayed they could see his, and the conviction with which he said the words. Lex hadn't known before if this was the one who had hurt Clark, but now that he did, if the opportunity arose he would take revenge for both of their sakes, or at least die trying. 

"Tell me more about this?" A gloved hand appeared in front of Lex's face, fondling an object he hadn't seen in years. The alien key revolved in the abductor's palm, then vanished. "What did your father know about it?" 

This time Lex stayed silent. He could handle many things, but what if in a moment of pain he revealed Clark's darkest secret? When he didn't even reply, the person grew angrier still, and kicked till their victim was almost unconscious. 

Realizing things had gone too far, the aggressor retreated to the corner, watching as Lex writhed on the floor then passed out. No ordinary questioning would break this one, perhaps even torture wouldn't, and Lucas had insisted his brother wasn't to be kept alive for long. It was risky enough now, bringing him here like this. Deciding on a new course of action, the tormentor left the room, quietly locking the door as they departed to change into more suitable clothes....   
  
  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

  
  
  
A Metropolis Suburb...   
  
Pete pulled his green Lincoln quietly to the curb, just as the sun began to make its decent for the evening, making way for a cloudless night sky. On any other day, he would just be settling back to look through endless piles of paperwork, but tonight he and Chloe were on a manhunt. 

It hadn't really taken very long to find the address listed to Dr Rybec, as it was in a pretty high class area, with mostly politicians and businessmen's homes for company. But now that they were here, how could they just knock on someone's door and accuse them of attempted murder? 

Pete whistled in amazement, as he surveyed the house they had come to visit. "Wow, this place is almost as big as the Luthor mansion..." 

Chloe huffed, and then climbed out, slamming her door to show her disgust. "It should be something she's used to then..." 

The mayor shook his head, knowing Chloe was right, but not liking her full frontal approach. He had parked far enough away from the house's driveway to appear inconspicuous, and had even picked a spot that left their car shielded by shadows from the low overhanging trees. Now, his over eager companion was making their presence obvious, as she stormed up the long gravel drive and hammered on the door, not caring who saw her. 

"Chloe!" Pete jogged after her, eyeing the surrounding neighborhood in sudden fear. He had tried to hide their car, but then he abruptly realized that there were plenty of places for others to hide too. And the kind of people he was imaging wouldn't be here to just ask questions. 

"I'm not leaving till I've seen her Pete. You know she's behind this somehow, look what she did to Lex!" Chloe thrashed on the entrance again, this time till her knuckles began to redden, and someone finally answered. 

The huge arched door swung only slightly ajar, and Pete could see a chain still latched in place for security. "We just want to talk..." He attempted to ease his way in, but was swiftly cut short. 

"The hell we do!" Chloe slammed her weight against the chain, almost snapping it with her sheer determination. "Let us in Bryce, or I swear when I get you for what you've done to Clark..." 

Pete struggled to pull the disillusioned wife back, and expected the door to be smashed closed in their faces, but instead it shut momentarily, and then swung all the way open. The entranceway beyond was quite empty, and for a moment the thought of a trap crossed his mind. It would be so easy to finish the job and kill Chloe and himself, bringing the circle of death to a close. _You can't turn back now, what about Clark? You've gotten this far Ross, now get in there and do some good..._

Tentatively he stepped inside, keeping a firm grip on Chloe's now shivering frame. He guessed she was feeling the same apprehension he was, but they both carried on anyway. 

"In here..." Bryce sat waiting by an open fire, staring into the flames as if they had mesmerized her long ago. At their entrance into the room she never looked up, preferring not to lock eyes with those who would surely judge her. "You better take a seat. I at least owe you an explanation before we all die..." 

Chloe inhaled. She had come here intent on lashing out at this woman, this monster that could poison innocent victims for her own gain. But now, as she stood before the doctor, she comprehended that there was more to this story than she could know. Bryce had the look of someone who had no life; someone who had long since lost the will to live, and simply existed without any purpose, but to serve her master. 

"We all die?" Pete broke the perplexed reporter's thoughts, as he took a seat across from Bryce and raised a brow. "What else have you done? Why...?" 

The scientist rubbed her hands as if they were cold, even though the fire still raged before her. She had expected their visit, but there was no way she could help, no one could. "Luthor has people watching me. I'm under complete surveillance. They'll no doubt have already reported your arrival; it will only be a matter of time before they burst in here..." A hint of loathing tinged her voice as she pointed to one of the huge front windows. 

Intrigued, Chloe couldn't resist the urge to go check for herself. Tugging at one of the curtains just enough to peel back an edge, she peered out into the gloom. The up market drive seemed quiet enough, but across the road, a dark blue Chevy van had already appeared. _Sheesh, I'm either paranoid or she is right..._

Not wanting to acknowledge Bryce was correct just yet, Chloe took a seat and decided time was relative. "Forget those guys. I want to know what you did to Clark, and I want to know how the hell I can stop it, or you'll be worrying about what I'm going to do to you!" 

Bryce flinched, and even Pete began to wonder just what she had been through. "The deaths have to stop," he attempted to sound calm, "help us save a life for a change..." 

"If only you understood...I don't do any of this because I want to, I never have, not even back when I was in Smallville. I can't leave here, I can't help you any more than I already have, Lucas has a hold on me..." The scientist's hands shook as she threw yet more mini-logs on the blazing fire, her demeanor becoming almost trance like. 

Pete glanced at Chloe, who amazingly had somehow held her raging temper in check. She took the hint and let him lead the conversation, at least for now. "Tell us." He prompted the doctor, "maybe we can help." 

Bryce shuddered. "It was a long time ago, back when I had a life. I was at med school, fully intent on doing my time there and then diverging into research..." 

"And?" Chloe prompted, trying to urge the conversation forward, "what has this to do with anything?" 

"I met Paul Hayden there. I'm sure you remember him? We became lovers, and from then on my career took second place...I had no way of knowing the kind of social circles he mixed in, no way of comprehending how he would ruin my life, and others too..." 

"Wasn't he the guy who came to Smallville when he heard about your marriage to Lex, the one who stabbed you out of jealousy?" Even Pete was becoming intrigued now. 

Bryce shivered more at the thought of Hayden. "Yes, he was the one, but he didn't just come out of bitterness, he came to intimidate me because I had defied my boss, although I could never tell Lex that." 

Chloe looked at her watch, then back at the curtain in dismay. Patience was something she normally had very little of, and tonight it wasn't even a word in her vocabulary. "Can you just get to the point?" She snapped. 

The doctor swallowed hard; this wasn't the easiest of tale's to tell. "After I became involved with Paul I found out he had connections in the Metropolis underworld...mostly a guy named Morgan Edge. Paul was in deep, he owed them ridiculous amounts of money. When I knew what was going on I tried to get away, to end the relationship, but it was too late. I'd made the biggest mistake of my life..." 

"Why couldn't you just go to the authorities for protection?" Chloe still wasn't buying the sob story...not until she heard Bryce's next comment. 

"Because I was carrying Hayden's baby! I was a fool to let it happen, but I wanted to keep the child. I would have given my career up for it even, but Edge had other plans. When Paul couldn't pay of his debts, Edge decided he'd use me instead. They took my baby as leverage and made me work for them, or else..." 

Chloe's jaw dropped. Of all the excuses she had expected, this wasn't one of them. "Hayden let them blackmail you with his own kid?" 

"He had no other way of paying, so yes he did. At first all Edge wanted were little things. Fix up some of his associates who couldn't go to hospital with their injuries, that kind of thing, but later he became involved in a power struggle with Lionel Luthor, and that's when he sent me to Smallville. I had no way of knowing I would fall for Lex, and for a time I thought I could escape my past there, that's when Edge sent Hayden after me. It was meant to be a warning, but when Paul saw me with Lex, he took it a little too far..." 

No one spoke. This wasn't what anyone could have predicted, and it shed a new light on things that made their next moves even harder to plan. 

Bryce stood from her seat, facing the wall as she finished her account. "When I recovered, I knew I would never be free of Edge, or the Luthors, you see even Lionel was on to me by this stage. So, I did the only thing I could and carried out Morgan's orders. The only thing I couldn't do was kill Lex on the plane...I should have, but I just couldn't. Not long after my leap from the jet, I was contacted by Lucas. He said Lionel was dead, and that he was now in possession of my son. If I worked for him, not Edge then finally I would get my son back, but I never did..." 

Pete grimaced in disgust at what some people were capable of "How old is he now? Your son I mean..." 

"If he really is alive, he'll be in his late teens now...probably working for Lucas already...I doubt I'd want to see the man he is becoming...but I can't risk his life. I still love him, wherever he is, and that is why I've done the unthinkable..." 

Chloe let the last remark sink in, then jumped to her feet, slapping the doctor hard across the face as her fury finally erupted. "All you have ever done is think about yourself! What about everyone else? I won't let the father of my unborn child die without a fight, anymore than you could endanger your kid. Now help me dammit, you created this thing, stop it!" 

"Father?" Bryce's brow rose, as she became both curious and shocked. "Clark can't have kids...his genes..." She shook off the thought, "In any case I can't help you, I already deceived Lucas and made this thing give Clark hours rather than instant death. I thought it would be enough, he was cured once before with his mother...I thought..." 

Pete tugged the doctor's arm, spinning her around to face him. "Well you thought wrong. Only you can save him now, and if what you say is true we're running out of time, both with Clark, and those goons outside. Maybe your son never had a chance, but you owe it to Clark to give his kid one." 

Bryce thought about it. They had no real chance of evading Luthor's men, but maybe if she died trying, Lucas' hold on her son would finally be over, for better or worse. _I am lower than even Luthor and Edge, for letting myself be manipulated all these years. I've taken lives instead of saving them, ruined my own son's with my foolishness. Maybe if I can give just one life back before I die... _

"I can stop the virus doing any more damage," she admitted, "but we'll need to get access to a lab, and I doubt Luthor's men are about to let that happen." She glanced at the expensive Grandfather clock sitting obtrusively in the corner, "and Clark is running dangerously low on time..." 

Pete inhaled, knowing they were about to embark on the most dangerous quest of their lives, but with Bryce in tow that meant Clark might at least have a chance. "If we can get out of here alive, I know a lab you can use..." 

Chloe nodded her agreement and peeked from the window one last time. Out on the street two more vans had appeared, one blocking their Lincoln from further movement, the other cutting off the far end of the cul-de-sac. As she watched, two more pulled up at the curb apparently from nowhere, their sliding panels releasing to allow an ensemble of camouflaged operatives out into the drive. 

She turned, her face ashen and grave. "Guys, I sure hope there's another way out of here, because we've got company, and I doubt they're here for the view..."   
  
  



	8. Memento Mori 2: Requiem Part 8

  
  
  
  
Pete had no clue what to do next. If Clark had been here, he would surely have taken charge of the situation, but without him it was going to be a game of cat and mouse that he doubted they could win. "Do you have a car?" The mayor looked at Bryce, praying she said yes. 

"It's out back." She nodded, and then headed for the rear of her extensive home, finally realizing she had to act. 

In the kitchen, she paused to pick a set of keys from a concealed hook, and then urged the others to follow out into the pitch black yard beyond. 

Chloe scowled. "If they're out front, surely they'll have the rear covered too?" 

Bryce ignored the comment and pressed a button on her keychain, releasing the sizeable garage door with an electronic beep. Inside stood a slate grey four-by-four, muddied from recent overland use, hinting at one possible escape route. "Get in." The doctor kept her comments to the point. "They won't be expecting this..." 

Pete raised a brow, and compelled Chloe to get in first, then hopped in behind her as Bryce cranked the huge diesel engine. It growled and rattled into life, just as a barrage of bullets indicated they were not alone. 

One projectile tore through the windshield, embedding itself in the seat dangerously close to where Pete was now sitting. "Whoa! We never used to get shot at like this back in Smallville!" 

Chloe ducked as more glass shattered around her, then shook her head. "Nope, we just got attacked by meteor mutants' intent on sucking our fat, burning us, freezing our butts..." 

Bryce disregarded their ironic conversation, and rammed her well designed off-road vehicle through a six foot fence. It careered down a sharp incline, its massive tires sliding in the mire, then gained a hold and sped onward across an open field. The cab bumped and rocked, as the wheels bounced on the large sods of earth beneath them, churning up soil in their wake. 

"I've thought about running like this for awhile," The doctor offered, "but I never had the guts before. You do know they'll be after us before I can even get back on the main highway?" 

Pete poked a finger in the bullet hole in his seat and whistled. "Man, I think we better get to Star labs and in a hurry...Lex's security people there should count for something..." 

Bryce balked at the name of her former husband, but continued driving at breakneck speed as the Jeep finally bounced over a verge, and then dropped onto a dirt track road. "Lex will be there?" She eventually asked. 

Chloe shrugged. "Maybe, the last we heard he was looking for someone who could help Clark. What I do know is after you get the supplies you need, we can take Lex's chopper from there back to Smallville," her eyes glistened with sadness for a moment, "back to Clark...if we're in time..." 

Headlights shone in the rearview, just as Bryce intended telling Chloe just how bad Clark's condition was likely to be. She didn't want the reporter holding out false hope, but if they had a tail already, then it probably wouldn't matter. 

Pete saw the following vehicle too, and turned in his seat to get a better view of it. "How did they find us so quickly?" 

Chloe looked to their driver. "We got away far too easily back there Bryce, my guess is either you're in on this again, or they've got a tracker on your Jeep..." She waited for a reaction, praying the latter to be true. _If she's in on this then Clark doesn't stand a chance..._

"I'm not part of this!" The doctor gave her passenger a sharp glance, "at least not anymore. I think you may be right though, we have to ditch the car and fast." Not explaining further, she shut down the vehicle's lights and swerved hard over, just managing to take an acute turn without skidding. 

The Jeep's suspension groaned as it leaned dangerously to the left, then righted itself and bounced down yet another steep slope. At the bottom, Bryce drove straight into a forest of thicket, and then jumped nimbly from the cab. "Let's move!" 

Pete didn't like being out in the open, especially not with the pregnant wife of his best friend in tow, it was just plain suicidal. Knowing the car was most likely bugged though, it didn't really leave them much option. He helped Chloe out, glancing around warily, and then pursued Bryce into the dense underbrush. 

Twigs and branches scratched at their faces as they pushed forward, heading towards Star labs the hard way... straight across country. It wasn't a long journey, but it was an arduous one, and pretty soon Pete began to worry. 

He heard Chloe beginning to lose her breath behind him, and knew that her stressed mind and body couldn't take much more. "Come on, not much further." He wrapped an arm around her as they ran, encouraging her to make it over the next hill. 

Chloe nodded, and then panting, continued onward till they finally reached the labs security fencing. "There's a secured gate if we follow this to the bottom of the slope." She offered the advice, trying to catch her breath. 

Bryce seemed surprised. "And how are we supposed to gain entry at this time of day?" 

The sardonic Chloe of old resurfaced, and she grinned mockingly. "Lets just say Clark and I have been here a lot lately. We both have palm print access, at any time of day..." Trying not to show how fatigued she really was, the reporter jogged towards the nearby entry point, and shrugging Pete followed. "I suggest we move our butts before your 'friends' catch up!" 

He received no argument from Bryce.   
  
  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

  
  
  
Inside the labs seemed cold to Chloe, not because of the temperature, but because the sterile environment reminded her of just why they had come here. The long, antiseptic smelling corridors all appeared empty, and yet the reporter knew they were most probably being watched by Lex's people. Right now, it was the only comforting thought in her head. 

"I'll need access to specific chemicals, drugs, and equipment..." Bryce didn't go into technical detail, knowing her companions would have no clue of the complexities of her job. "Where's the main lab?" 

Chloe pointed to an ante chamber to their left. "Dr Klein's personal lab is that way, it's where you're most likely to find what you need...but we should try and find a staff member who's still on duty..." 

Bryce overlooked Chloe's remarks and headed towards Klein's laboratory, her pace becoming more frantic as she realized just what she may have sacrificed. _I may have just given up my own son's life...and for what? Can I really pull this off?_

Swiftly she approached the lab door, and was shocked to find she didn't need Chloe to give her admission. Instead, it slid gently open with a whoosh of air, revealing a complex and expensive facility the other side. 

Pete shook his head. "Something is wrong here...I know I don't pay Lex or Klein regular visits like you guys," he looked to Chloe, "but it's too quiet. I would have expected at least one guard to come and quiz us over our unexpected presence." 

"I know what you mean..." Chloe bit her lip, suddenly afraid they had walked into yet another trap. "How long is this going to take?" She glared at the repentant doctor. 

Bryce took a seat at Klein's desk, and found his pc already switched on, and logged into the system. She hadn't really anticipated he would be so careless, but it was a good break for them. "If I can retrieve my work files from here, then not too long...Otherwise, if I have to start replicating things from memory..." 

She clicked with the optical mouse, gaining access to Luthorcorp systems, then into the level three sub menu in around two minutes. An emblem rotated on the screen while the information downloaded, and it reminded Pete of some demon's visage; it was rather a fitting crest for Luthor he decided. Finally a window appeared on screen, saying the exchange was complete. 

"I have all the data, now I just need to synthesize the solution..." Bryce began to leave her seat, hoping that Klein kept what she required here. "There's something you need to know though Chloe..." Her eyes unexpectedly found the floor, "I can't make a miracle cure, if this works it will simply stop the virus doing any more damage to Clark's cells." 

"Won't he just heal himself, like before? I mean once the virus is gone?" Pete appeared almost as upset as Chloe at the news. 

Bryce shook her head. "I made this thing similar to the spores Clark once inhaled on the farm. The kryptonite radiation within the virus breaks down his cells, stopping the photosynthetic process first, so he loses his abilities. Later, if he doesn't receive treatment, and the exposure is long enough, the damaged cells won't be able to regenerate at all..." 

"You're saying he won't have his powers?" Chloe exhaled. She didn't care if Clark was normal, she didn't care about anything so long as he lived. 

"No, you don't..." The exasperated scientist waved her head, sensing Chloe wasn't comprehending the full extent of her explanation. 

"Oh don't bother trying to tell her more Dr Bryce. It really doesn't matter. None of you will be leaving this room till it's far too late for detective Kent." A small wiry figure entered the lab door, and paused there. He smiled at the ensemble, and then gestured with the gun he had thus far kept aimed in their general direction. "Doctor, I'd like you to hand me the disc you just made. I do believe its Luthorcorp property after all..." 

Helen peered at the little man, trying to judge just how far he would go. It didn't take much to be convinced that despite his size and appearance, he would kill without reservation. He worked for Lucas after all; which meant he had no morals. Slowly she moved forward, reaching out with the disc as if to give it up. 

"No!" Chloe screamed, and then dived at the doctor, not readily understanding that Bryce had been stalling for time. 

The pair rolled onto the floor on Chloe's impact, and began to struggle like two people possessed. Lucas' henchman saw their ruckus as a threat to his own mission, and let off a round at the cat-fighting women. It narrowly missed Bryce as she reeled to the side, and he aimed again, this time intent on hitting his target. 

Pete could see what was happening, but he was too far across the lab to be of much use. He ran anyway, hoping that the gunman might turn on him instead of the grappling women, but he didn't. Instead, the evil looking little man collapsed to the floor in a heap, a jet of blood spurting from his head where Klein had hit him. 

As the reality of his actions sank in, the timid scientist toyed with his glasses nervously, his whole body quivering with shock. "Oh my...I came back to see if I could find something to help Clark. I knew something was wrong when I got here, but..." 

Pete tugged out a chair and sat Klein down before his already shaky knees gave way, then whirled to see Chloe and Helen climbing up from the floor, looking slightly disheveled, and very sheepish. "I think we should get the stuff Clark needs, and get to that chopper before more goons show up..." He sighed, then under his breath added, "If there even is a chopper to get to anymore..."   
  
  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

  
  
  
Smallville  
An Embankment Overlooking Luthorcorp...   
  
Lois hunched forward in the wild grass, the twilight gloom masking her presence to the untrained eye. She had waited here for over two hours, just watching the endless traffic that seemed to begin its journey at Luthor's backwater plant. From what she could see, most of the trucks appeared to be carrying some kind of fluid cargo, either in barrels, or in mini-tankers. It wasn't that unusual perhaps, for a fertilizer plant, and yet something still seemed very wrong. 

"Just what are you making down there Lucas?" Lane whispered into the wind, and received an ever-so faint reply in response. 

"Something very deadly..." 

Lois whirled around to find a hand clasped in front of her mouth, cutting off any cry she might attempt to make. She squinted in the dull light, hoping to recognize the man who had grabbed her, but she had never seen him before. 

"I think it's time I introduced myself..." Without saying more, the man retrieved Lois' sidearm, and dragged her towards a large black limousine, which somehow she had failed to notice arrive. As they neared, the rear door popped open as if by magic, and he pushed her harshly inside. 

With a click the door locks shot down behind them, sealing them both in. "What do you think you're doing?" Lane stared at the person before her, "in fact who the hell do you think you are?" 

He smirked. "I am Vuong Kazuku, you might have heard of me? My friends call me Ishii..." Letting his status sink in, Kazuku opened a large bar and poured out two drinks, carefully placing ice in both glasses. Satisfied that Lane recognized just who he was, he continued his narrative. "I see you have been watching my good friend Lucas, as have I ..." 

Lois shrugged. "I don't know what you mean." 

Kazuku took a sip of his scotch, and then passed Lane her glass. "Oh come now detective, I know you and Kent have been after Luthor for months, and now that I know he has been deceiving me, I think we should join forces so to speak." 

"You want to turn states evidence against Lucas?" Lois looked at her captor mockingly, knowing it was not what he meant. 

"Let's just say I'm planning a hostile takeover, and a little assistance from inside the police would be most helpful..." Vuong leaned forward, setting his glass down and peering his captive straight in the eye. "I've wanted someone on the inside of Manning's department for months, but his people are just too clean. You however Miss Lane, are in the unfortunate position of having to help me..." 

"Why would I want to help you?" Lois kept her voice level, placing her scotch down with no intention of drinking any of it. 

Kazuku noted her suspicion, but made no remark. "Because I know your partner has a secret, and I have a feeling neither you, nor he would want it coming out? I've seen files that Luthor keeps on him, some dating back to when Lionel was alive, and although I've yet to see what is within those documents, it will only be a matter of time..." 

"We have nothing to hide from you!" 

"Then when I remove Lucas tomorrow, and take everything from his vault, you and Kent will have nothing to fear..." Kazuku saw the sparkle of concern in his prey's eyes, and knew Lane was taking the bait. "Of coarse if you wish the truth to stay buried along with Lucas, you could always do me certain favors. Even Kent needn't know of our agreement...Where is the good detective by the way?" 

Lane's mind churned. _I can't give into this dirt-bag, and I can't let Clark's secret come out... _

"Clark's visiting his parents, he had no clue I was going to snoop on Luthor tonight..." Lane told the lie and hoped Kazuku fell for it. If he didn't already know her partner was sick, there was no way she was going to let the cat out of the bag. 

Kazuku nodded, apparently taking her answer to be the truth. "So Miss Lane, what will your answer to my proposition be? Are you sure you want to risk Kent's future...?" 

"What's to stop me saying yes now, and then backing out? Why would you trust me even if I did agree?" 

Vuong tapped on the darkened window glass, gesturing towards the trucks still trundling from Luthorcorp. "Some of those trucks are carrying a cargo for me. When they stop rolling tomorrow, I'll pay Lucas a visit and settle my score. I'll also be acquiring the files I spoke of. Until then you will be my guest, just in case you thought about doing anything stupid...In effect you have tonight to make up your mind. Join me, and whatever Kent's secret is it will stay safe...defy me, and you both shall die..." 

Lois looked to the limo's plush velvet like carpet. Clark might be dead before you even get near him anyway... "Answer me one thing? Just what does Luthor have in those tankers that is so important?" 

Kazuku lowered his window a fraction. "They carry a chemical cargo that is most definitely not of an agricultural nature..." 

Lane gaped, finally understanding what Luthor was up to. "He's making chemical weapons isn't he? My God you're both nothing more than monsters!" 

"Not just chemical weapons my dear..." Vuong seemed pleased at his prisoner's reaction. "Lucas, or rather his scientists, have come up with some fascinating new bugs and toxins. They make murder, warfare, and even terrorism so much easier to instigate..." He suddenly shifted in his seat, annoyed. "At least they would do, if Luthor hadn't reneged on his deal. But no matter, I shall take the rest of what is mine by force tomorrow, and anyone who stands in my way will be crushed by the divine wind that carries me..."   
  
  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

  
  
  
The Kent Farm...   
  
Jonathan Kent rubbed at his temple as his exhausted body urged him to doze, but there would be no sleep tonight; his tormented mind wouldn't allow it. He glanced over to his wife, so pale, and yet so determined not to give in. 

Martha sat quietly, mopping Clark's brow every few minutes as his fever gradually worsened. The only time she had left his side had been for more water, and a fresh cloth. 

"Martha?" Jonathan softly called to her, but she refused to even acknowledge him. Instead, he was left to watch as she tended their son, and he didn't attempt to disturb her again. 

From outside, Jonathan heard the sound he had both been waiting for, and yet dreading, and he hurried to the front door in anticipation. _Have they found help? Or have they given in...?_

The Bell Jetranger's rotors roared above the Kansas farm, their downdraft causing Jonathan to squint and hold a hand in front of his face, as the chopper gently settled in the nearest field. The mini whirlwind abated, as the helicopter bounced down onto the soft ploughed earth, its rear doors swinging wide as its three passengers hopped out. 

The farmer recognized Chloe and Pete instantly, and his heart soared with hope, but at first he couldn't distinguish the third traveler. It was only as she drew nearer, bag in hand, that he realized just who was about to enter his household. 

"Bryce?" Jonathan's tone was both shocked, and slightly annoyed. "Just what the hell is going on here?" He looked to Pete first for answers, and then spun the doctor around sharply when she tried to go through the door. "I don't want you in my home, not without some explanation. Everyone around here knows what you did to Lex..." 

Chloe sensitively squeezed her father-in-law's arm. "Mr. Kent, I know this looks bad, but we don't have time to go through all this now. Clark needs her help, she's the only one who can do this..." 

"How do I know she isn't just here to finish off what Luthor started? I'll not have her touching my son!" Jonathan hadn't ever known Bryce very well, but he had never really trusted her, at least not the way Martha had. Now, her sudden reappearance was more than his suspicious mind could handle. His troubled eyes stared at her. "What's the matter, Clark not dying fast enough, so you've come to help him along?" 

"Jonathan!" Everyone grew silent and turned to look, as Martha spoke for the first time in hours. "Our son won't live till morning! If Chloe and Pete trust Helen, then we should at least hear her out..." 

The mother's desperate plea would have torn at even the toughest of heart strings, and Jonathan was no exception. Realizing that Clark had nothing to lose, his grip on the doctor slackened, and she hastened to Martha's side. 

"He's burning up...I didn't know what else I could do..." Martha wiped more perspiration from her son, and then looked pleadingly at Bryce. _Please let Jonathan be wrong, let her be here to try and save our son, not take him away forever... _

Bryce ignored Martha's intense gaze, and instead concentrated on her patient. Knowing she had caused Clark's condition only heightened her sense of guilt, but also made her more determined to try and help. As she checked him over, she realized they may already be fighting a losing battle. "His temperature is off the scale. We have to cool him down or he could start to convulse, or worse... Mrs. Kent, we need more water, and any ice you might have. Chloe, can you get the rest of his clothes off?" 

Without waiting for either of them to react, Bryce yanked open the bag she had brought from Star labs, and retrieved the solution she had synthesized. Normally it wouldn't be easy to get in Clark's system, but in his condition she anticipated a needle would suffice. 

While she filled a syringe, Chloe tugged off Clark's shirt. "Please say we're not too late..." 

Helen didn't really know how to answer, how could she, when in all honesty she thought they were? Finally, after administering her preparation, she thought it only fair to warn Chloe what might, or might not happen next. As she spoke, both Pete and Jonathan stood in the background, hoping that the doctor was wrong. 

"Chloe, even though I've given him the antidote it might not be enough...I think we left it too long..." Bryce paused, waiting for a response, and then examined Clark again. Even now, she could barely feel the throbbing of his pulse. "The best we can try and do is to cool him down, and pray for a miracle..." 

Chloe didn't want to understand, she had gone through so much to get this far, her tired mind blanked out whatever Helen was trying to say. "I don't care if he has no abilities, I don't care, as long as he lives..." 

Bryce opened her mouth to reiterate her explanation, but found she just couldn't tell the beleaguered wife again. _It's all my fault, all my doing..._

She watched as Chloe took Clark's hand and intertwined it with her own, then as Martha brought in ice, Chloe simply lay her head on his chest, willing it to rise and fall with every breath of her own...   
  
  



	9. Memento Mori 2: Requiem Part 9

  
  
  
The sweet smell of the farm permeated his nostrils, enticing his weary mind to awaken from the enforced slumber his body had endured. Birds chirped, and in the distance he heard the bellows of his father's cattle, as they awaited their first feed of the day. _I must have overslept...I need to do my chores before school..._

Clark stirred, wiping his bleary eyes to find he was stretched out on the trusty couch. As his brain recovered more, he soon recalled it had been a very long time since he had attended Smallville High, or done any regular farm chores. _Someone poisoned me..._

Remembering in vivid flashback just what had happened, he roused, glancing around the silent room as he pulled into a sitting position. To his left, Chloe lay on her side, curled in a fetal position in the family rocker, a small grey blanket covering her legs. Even in sleep, her face showed the suffering she had undergone, and it pained Clark to see it. _What has she gone through these last few hours for me...?_

On the table in front of Chloe sat a clean shirt and jeans, waiting innocently just as she had placed them in the certainty that against all odds Clark would live, and would want fresh clothes. _She never gave up on me..._

Suddenly feeling a chill, Clark glanced down and realized he had nothing on but his boxers. The sight brought a smile to his face, and he reached out, grabbing the clothes. _Now all I have to do is manage to get them on without falling on my butt..._

Kent grabbed the nearest chair to steady himself, and then shakily tugged on the jeans first. It was a slow and painful process, but he had almost finished when voices from the kitchen made him pause. The words were whispered, and it surprised Clark that he couldn't easily hear them by simply 'tuning' in to their resonance. 

_"Mr. Kent, you have to understand that even though Clark made it through the night, he still might never awaken. His body has been through so much...and even if he does, he may never regain his abilities. Pete has taken a blood sample to Dr Klein to check the amount of cell damage, but the fact that I can still even draw it doesn't bode well..."_

The voice was female, and although it seemed familiar, Clark couldn't place it. Wanting to know if her assumptions were correct however, he squinted, trying to kick in his x-ray vision to view the kitchen, but all he got was an acute twinge behind his eyes. Feeling exhausted and dejected, he reseated himself and continued to listen. Jonathan's unmistakable voice came next. 

_"You can't leave Bryce; my son still needs your help! I have no clue what to do for him, and Martha and Chloe are in no fit state..."_

Bryce was unabashed. _"I'm afraid there's nothing more I can do here, and there's something I have to do for my own son...Klein can do as much as I can now, which isn't a great deal. If Clark does regain consciousness, just make sure he rests till Klein gets here, no heroics, his body won't stand it. Oh, and give him plenty of fluids, he'll be dehydrated..."_

Both voices continued their conversation, but to Clark the words faded into insignificance. He had no idea how long he had been out, but the consequences of his coma were blatantly obvious. Without his gifts, how could he be of any use to the world? Looking down, he grabbed his boots and quickly slipped them on, then quietly moved outside into the sunrise. 

It was a beautiful morning, the early dawn's rays shining down on him in abundance, as he leaned heavily on the outside fence for support. Normally the sun's radiation would have invigorated him by now, sending any weakness he might have into the far corners of oblivion, but today he felt nothing. Clark's powers were gone, and perhaps would never return, and even though he had once wished to lose them, he suddenly wanted them back. _How can I be a cop who never draws his weapon, if I'm not bullet proof? What difference can I make to the world now? How can I carry out Jor-El's last wishes... _In one harrowing moment, the awful truth hit the detective like a sledgehammer, and he gulped, not knowing how to face his family and friends. 

"Clarkie?" Karyn's young, innocent tones made him turn. She smiled at the sight of her big brother awake, and offered up a glass if iced water. "I heard the doctor say you might be thirsty when you woke up..." A tiny grin appeared, as the eleven year old showed her delight at his return to the land of the living. 

Clark smiled back and took the beverage, taking two gulps before answering. "Thanks, I hadn't realized just how dry I was..." The rest of the crystal clear water called to him, and he couldn't resist finishing it, then kneeled to his sister's height. 

Before he could say a word, she threw her arms around his neck and heaved a huge sigh of relief. "I've missed you so much." The sentence came out startlingly serious for one so young, and as Clark pulled Karyn away, he noted her expression matched her manner. "Don't be so sad Clarkie; as long as you're better, nothing else matters..." The little girl smiled again, warming her brother's anxious heart. 

Karyn had no way of knowing the innermost feelings that were haunting him, but somehow her young perspective seemed to console him like no adults wisdom could. "I'll be okay now, don't worry." He winked and grinned, "Now that I have my sister to look after me..." He took her tiny hand, "Come on, let's go tell the others I'm not a lost cause after all." 

Karyn frowned, unsure what to make of his last comment, but nodded knowingly anyway. "Chloe said you'd wake today..." 

"And it looks like my daughter in law was right!" 

Clark and Karyn turned to find Jonathan staring at them, his unshaven and unkempt appearance betraying just what he'd been through. Running a hand through his hair, he couldn't take his eyes off his son for fear he was an illusion. "Oh God Son, we all thought..." 

Not having the will to say more, Jonathan closed the last few yards to Clark, and threw his arms around him. The caring father squeezed hard, tears forming in his eyes as he sensed Clark's pounding heart beneath his grip. _I should show him my feelings more, what if I'd lost him and never had the chance of this moment?_

Clark pulled away, wanting to calm his almost shaking parent. "It's okay Dad. I'm okay..." 

Jonathan looked skeptical. "How do you feel Son? Honestly?" The mistrusting father raised a brow questioningly. 

_Hmn, my body aches, my head is pounding, and I have no powers... _"I feel...I feel human Dad..." Clark inhaled, then glanced up to see his dad's reaction. 

Jonathan nodded resignedly. It was just like Bryce had said, but at least Clark had lived, nothing else was of any consequence. "The important thing is that you're alive Son, we can deal with anything else, anything..." 

"I should go inside. Chloe and mom must have been frantic!" Clark's worried puppy eyes appeared and he tugged at Karyn to follow as he and Jonathan walked back to the porch. 

"Bryce gave both of them something to help them sleep...I don't know how either of them coped last night..." Jonathan looked at Karyn; she had been the only one to handle all of this well, and somehow he couldn't put it all down to her age. She would grow up into a daughter to be proud of, just like his son had. 

Clark scowled as he trudged through the door and back into the kitchen, then glanced around to spot the doctor's whereabouts, but she had vanished. "Just how does Helen Bryce fit into the equation?" He searched more, "and where is Lois?" 

Jonathan rubbed his head, not knowing where or how to start. Finally he poured three cups of coffee and pulled out a chair. "Bryce is a long story, and one I don't even know the half of yet. Lois...well we think she went after evidence against Lucas Luthor. Maybe she should add his brother on the list too..." 

"Lex? Why Lex?" The detective sounded perplexed, and swiftly realized more of his friends were missing than present. "Didn't he follow us here?" 

Jonathan sighed. He didn't want to be so harsh on his son's long time friend, but when Clark had been dying, where had he been. "Lex never showed up." He toyed with his cup, "I'm guessing something more important, like some business deal came up..." The sound of a car outside cut his sentence short, and he looked to Clark. "Since you got sick we've had more visitors than the Statue of Liberty!" 

Clark grinned at his dad's humor, and slowly tagged along behind him to the door, silently hoping Lex had at last arrived to prove his worth. The vehicle that sat on the dusty drive though, was far too inexpensive to belong to a Luthor, and was in fact a rented car from Grandville. 

"Lana, Daryl!" Jonathan couldn't hide the shock and surprise in his voice as he swung open the door to his latest guests. 

Lana smiled wanly, and looked up to both father and son with an air of panic. "I'm so sorry for just dropping on you like this, but Daryl saw something, something bad about Clark, and well he's never usually wrong..." Her eyes fell on the detective, searching for signs of a problem. _He doesn't look well; I hope everything is okay..._

Glancing at Clark, Jonathan nodded. "You'd both best come in." He opened the door further, and Lana and her small companion entered. 

As they all took seats at the table, Daryl peered at Clark, his dark, mysterious eyes piercing the cop's very essence. "I saw it too late didn't I?" He looked almost apologetic, as if the whole thing were his fault. 

"I'm alright; the worst is over now..." Clark ruffled the kid's hair affectionately, "what say you go with my sister Karyn, and see her loft while we have a talk?" 

Daryl smiled and looked to the girl he knew, but had never really met properly. He had saved her life once with one of his 'visions', and had hoped that someday they could meet under better circumstances. "Sure." He answered obediently, and was summarily dragged from his seat by the ever eager Karyn Kent, before he could change his mind. 

All three adults' watched them head for the barn, then Clark put his attention back to Lana. "Exactly what did he see?" He chose his questions carefully, not wanting to alarm Lana, but needing to know as much as he could. 

"Daryl woke up in the night, he was almost screaming that he'd seen you dying, and there was nothing anyone could do. I told him it must just be a nightmare, but I couldn't calm him till I said I'd get you on the phone. The trouble was, all I got in Metropolis was your machine, and when I contacted the precinct they said you'd come home. I'd intended to come over to Smallville next week anyway, so I just put my trip forward..." She looked at the two men, sensing their unease, "there is something wrong isn't there? I knew yesterday when we found that car it was a bad omen, and then when I couldn't get through on the phone..." 

Clark raised a brow, and decided it was time for yet more drinks. Perhaps a warm soothing beverage would help calm their nerves, or maybe it was just his dehydrated body craving more sustenance, either way he put on a fresh pot. "What car?" He prompted, abruptly getting a bad feeling of his own. 

Lana squirmed; the sight of the upturned vehicle and its occupant still bringing a pang of disquiet to her. "We were on our way into Smallville when we got diverted. The sign took us down Hopkins Road..." 

Clark nodded, knowing the road was actually nothing more than a dirt track. 

Lana continued. "I don't know why, but I didn't like it, something felt off, and Daryl sensed it too. Anyway, a short distance down the track we came to a car..." She paused, putting a hand to her mouth as she recalled the horror. "At first it just looked like an accident, the car had turned over on its roof, but when I got out to check if anyone was inside..." Lana stopped again, this time not wanting to carry on. 

"What did you see?" Clark placed a caring hand on her shoulder, helping her feel secure and comforted. His voice came out both soft and persuading, reminding her of happier days. 

"There was a woman inside...Oh God, there was so much blood. I ...I thought she was dead." Lana's eyes filled with fear, "but that wasn't the worst of it Clark. I recognized the car as Lex's, no one else has a car like that, and the license was SLL5..." 

Jonathan coughed, a surge of guilt washing over him as the truth sank in. _What if Lex did try and get here, and paid the ultimate price? But then where is the body? What if I could have done something, had I not been so mistrusting when Klein said Lex's phone was off..._ "Maybe he just loaned this woman the car?" 

Clark shook his head. "Lex said he had an idea of someone, a doctor, who could help when I was poisoned. I think he was bringing her here, but someone didn't want that to happen..." 

Lana agreed. "The car had taken out a phone pole, that's why I couldn't call you, but I could still get through to the emergency services on my cell phone. When the sheriff arrived, she said the woman was a Doctor Berman...the paramedics said if I hadn't found her when I did she wouldn't have stood a chance..." 

"She's alive?" Jonathan was surprised. "Maybe you could get some information from her Son?" 

"I doubt it, when I went back to town to make my statement; the sheriff said she was still not out of the woods yet." Lana appeared disturbed by the whole ordeal, "anyway, by the time I'd finished with the police it was late, so Daryl and I stayed in a motel till this morning...I was just hoping his premonition was wrong, but?" 

"I have been ill," Clark answered truthfully, "someone tried to kill me. I'm okay now, but Lois and Lex are both missing. From what you say I don't like this one bit..." He turned to the window, suddenly feeling inadequate when he was needed most._ Why did I have to lose my powers now? I can't leave Lex and Lois in Luthor's hands. Special or not, I have to act before it's too late...If it isn't already..._

Jonathan didn't need any powers of his own to sense his son's burden. It was one he would have felt too, had he been in Clark's position. He stood, gently placing a hand on Clark's shoulder, then pressed lightly, letting his son know he wasn't alone. "You can't do this all by yourself this time. You have to rest, and let the police handle this thing. We just got you back Son, I'm not about to let you risk everything again now. Think about your mom and Chloe..." 

Lana listened. She hadn't been here in their darkest hour, she hadn't even known until Daryl had seen the unfortunate truth, but one thing she could relate to was the loss of a loved one. She had been in the situation far too often, and she didn't want to see it happen again. "Your dad's right Clark. You're not some superhero! I've met the new sheriff, she seems to know her job, you should go see her first. Please don't go off like you used to when we were young, you can't always keep walking away unscathed..." 

Clark stared back out the window, watching the new day unfold for just a moment, and then he turned back. "Lex and Lois risked their lives for me; I won't leave them now, no matter what. For all I know Lucas could have the local police in his back pocket too, and even if he doesn't I can't wait for them. Lucas won't keep prisoners alive for long unless he needs to..." 

"Clark!" Lana jumped from her chair, anger flashing across her normally passive countenance. "Think of Chloe!" 

"I am," He whispered, "and for all the other wives who will lose a loved one if Lucas isn't finished this time..." He said no more, but slipped from the door without even grabbing a jacket. 

Jonathan knew anymore words on his son would be wasted, and walked to the corner, back to his father's shotgun. It sat where it always had, never once fired in anger; another throwback from an era long gone. Hiram Kent had been a good man, an honest man, and it pained Jonathan to take up his weapon now to defend his family, but defend it he must. 

When Lana realized he was hooking the gun down, she gaped. "Not you too! I thought you both had more sense than this!" 

Jonathan's face grew grim. "Lucas won't stop even if Clark and I do, you have to understand that. He sent a hit team to kill Helen Bryce and anyone that helped her last night. There's no reason to think he won't send another here when he knows his plans aren't working..." The father brushed by, plucking Lana's rental keys from the table before she could protest. "I have to borrow your car..." 

"Listen; even if you're right, what do you think you can do against Luthor's private army of security men? Sheriff Walters is a good woman. I think if you go see her she'll help you, she's much more receptive than Adams ever knew how to be. It's Clark's and everyone else's only chance!" Lana pleaded, and finally her words appeared to sink in. 

Jonathan inhaled and nodded. "Alright, keep and eye on everyone for me, and I'll go get Walters help. At the first sign of trouble, lock yourselves in the storm cellar. It's the only safe place..." 

Lana smiled, even though her stomach churned as Jonathan sped away. From the barn she heard children's laughter, as Daryl and Karyn played oblivious to it all, and for the second time in one day she wished she was that young again. _Would I change the future if I had the chance though...? _

"Clark?" A fatigued voice from behind told Lana Chloe had awakened, and that she had noticed her husband was once again missing. _What on earth do I tell her? I don't even know as much as she does... _   
  
  



	10. Memento Mori 2: Requiem Part 10

  
  
  
  
Somewhere near Luthorcorp...   
  
  
The black Rolls Royce hadn't moved in hours; it simply sat waiting for its jubilant owner to return from his corporate battle. Inside, the guard grew tired of watching over his charge and yawned, wishing Kazuku would come back soon and deal with Lane. He had been in the driving seat now for almost a day, and it bored him to sit behind the Plexiglas, babysitting a cop. 

Lane was no trouble; in fact she had remained motionless for most of the night, squirming only once when he had ventured into the back to check her bonds. She appeared to be asleep right now, but the guard knew that could be a ploy, anything could from this fiery little lady. He flicked on the radio, hoping for some amusement, but the local yokel station irritated him even more. _Maybe I should have some fun with the girl before Vuong gets back. She'll never work for him, I know her type too well, so it shouldn't matter what I do...Maybe I could even say she tried to escape... _

The guard grinned and pushed open his door, and then climbed out to stretch his aching muscles. "How about providing me with a lil distraction from my boredom Lane?" He tugged the heavy limo rear door open, and grabbed Lois by her wrists, pulling her forward till she slid from her seat onto the boggy soil. "Where shall we start?" 

"I think we should start by giving you a lesson in manners..." 

Vuong's subordinate spun around, leaving Lois sprawled in the soft mud. His eyes widened, as he recognized the man who had spoken to him. "Kent..." 

Clark stood firm, although he was totally at a loss what to do next. The henchman was undoubtedly armed, and today there would be no catching or dodging bullets. _Time to do it the old fashioned way...whatever that really is..._

As if reading his mind the man reached under his jacket, about to tug out his pearl handled weapon and fire it. He had heard rumors about the man before him, and although he didn't believe them, he was taking no chances. 

Even without his lightning reflexes Clark saw what was coming, and dived to his right, hoping to at least avoid the full impact of the bullets that would surely come. Two projectiles flew past him with a whoosh of air, but unlike before he couldn't see their path; only that they had missed him. Two more slugs hit him high as he dropped to the earth, and Clark grunted with the force of their blows, then rolled over and quickly leaped back onto his feet. 

The gunman stumbled in mid step, finally trusting the stories he had been told about this invincible cop. "You can't..." He stammered, unsure just what to say, and then raised his automatic for a second barrage. 

This time Lois was ready, and from her almost prone position, she managed to grab one of the shooter's legs with her tied hands. He shrieked as she unexpectedly yanked him down, and he nose-dived into the quagmire beside her. "Bitch!" He kicked out, angered that in his fall he had also let go of his pistol, and then began a frantic scramble to find it before his foe was upon him. 

Clark saw the weapon first, and booted it harmlessly out of the man's reach. "I don't think you should have that..." 

The guard squirmed, but refused to give in just yet. Springing back up in his dirt covered suit, he lunged at his opponent, and caught Clark square in the jaw with his fist. The cop took the blow with a wince, and then dodged a second. _Whoa, I have to learn to think like I'm slower if I want to stay in the fight... _

Still refusing to do any actual harm to his adversary, Clark waited till the man edged in for another punch, and then lithely sidestepped the attack, surprising himself with his own 'human' fluidity. Before the henchman knew more, the cop had an arm around his neck, squeezing just enough to cause him to wheeze. 

"I don't want to hurt you, but I don't have time to mess around. Give in now and you'll live. Agreed?" Clark's threat was an empty one, but the timbre of his voice would never have given it away. 

The man appeared to think, and then nodded his assent without trying to speak. With his free hand, Clark tugged out a half empty roll of duck tape from his pocket, and then gestured to Lois. "I know you're still a little tied up yourself, but any chance you could do the honors?" 

She grinned. "My pleasure..." 

While Clark kept the guard at bay, Lois tugged both his hands behind his back and used half the remaining tape to secure him. Taking a smaller piece, she plastered it across his mouth, for all intense purposes gagging him. Satisfied with her work, she nodded to Clark, and the man found himself shut in the back of the limo face first; so that all he had a view of was the lavish leather upholstery. 

As soon as the door latch clicked into the locked position, Clark gasped and grabbed onto a nearby tree for support, his every breath coming short and rasping. While the man could see him he had attempted not to show his weakness, but now he was close to collapse, both from the bullet impacts, and the residual effects of the toxin. After several moments of panting, he glanced up to see Lois staring at him uncomprehendingly. "Are you still sick?" She finally asked, not knowing what else to think. 

Kent shook his head, and after more painful breaths tugged his shirt open to reveal a Kevlar vest. "Let's just say I'm not the man I used to be..." He plucked a flattened slug from the body armor, and let Lane see it wasn't even green. "I'm cured of the virus, or whatever it was, but it took my gifts too." Pulling a penknife from his pocket, he straightened up and cut away the bonds that held her hands together. 

"I wondered when you didn't use your speed to get that guy...but I'm just happy you're alive." She wanted to hold him, to tell him more, but she restrained herself. Now wasn't the time, in fact there would never be a time, as she constantly told herself. 

Clark sighed. "I never really thought about wearing a vest before, at least not until Lucas had me shot that time, and even then I never used it. It just sat in my old room at the farm, gathering dust. Today when I knew my powers were gone, I realized it was something I should have considered a long time ago; after all even back then I wasn't immortal..." 

"Something I seem to remember telling you, and you just brushed it to one side..." Lois raised a brow, and then flashed a faint smile, picking up the automatic her captor had dropped. "I suppose offering you this is still a sore point too?" 

"There are always alternatives..." Kent paused to look down to the ground below, startled by the sudden scream of staccato gunfire and cries of anguish. 

The tankers had stopped rolling now, and where there once had been a humble chemical plant, a tiny war waged for control of a deadly shipment of goods. As the pair watched, Luthorcorp security staff struggled to keep a hold on their positions, as an elite troop of Kazuku's men stormed the facility. It was like something from a drugs war movie, except the prize was even higher, and far more lethal. 

Clark kneeled, unsure what was unfolding before him. "Just how much have I missed?" He finally asked. 

"From what I've been able to find out, Lucas has been making some sort of chemical weapons down there. Something special..." She stopped, choosing her words carefully. Don't mention Vuong is after Clark's secret just yet; he has enough on his mind. "It would seem Luthor has been dealing with Vuong Kazuku on this, and then double crossed him on the shipment..." 

Clark winced. He had dealt with Kazuku before in Metropolis, and he wasn't a man to take deceit lightly. "Ouch...I think Lucas bit off more than he can chew this time. The worrying thing is, just why he needed to come to the Smallville plant to make these bio-weapons..." 

"You're thinking he's using the irradiated meteor rocks somehow?" 

"Maybe," Clark nodded, thinking of all the clandestine experiments Lionel had once conducted at level three. "It doesn't really matter though; I have to go down there. If Lex is still alive, he won't be for long in that fracas. Both Lucas and Kazuku would rather see him dead, than come out of this in control of Luthorcorp..." 

Lois grimaced, and then flinched as a tiny explosion seemed to rock the ground. Kazuku's teams had set a charge on the main entrance, and were already filing in through the hole they had blown; had the plant not been so secluded maybe the police would have been alerted, but out here Kazuku had time. "What makes you even think Lex is down there? And even if he is, in your condition we should wait for backup!" 

"This is the nearest Luthor facility to where they found Lex's car, it's the obvious choice Lucas would make; he's so arrogant. And even if Lex isn't here, I want Lucas before he gets away again. My family won't be safe till he's behind bars, and maybe I can at least get Lex's true whereabouts from him..." As Kent finished his sentence, a stream of workers burst from the building below, desperately trying to flee the hostile gunfire. Some made it to the far end of the compound before being mercilessly gunned down; others fell in the improvised entrance, never really having a chance of escape. _Thank God Gabe hasn't worked there in years..._

Lois saw the expression on her partner's face as the bodies tumbled to the ground. He would never get used to senseless killing. "You're still going down there aren't you? Even though you don't stand a chance now?" She huffed, and looked down at the solitary automatic in her palm. "I'm going with you, whether you agree, or not! We can split up, keep to the shadows, and maybe find Lex without getting involved in the skirmish. The local cops can clean that mess up!" 

Clark opened his mouth to protest, and then stifled it. Lane was as pig-headed as Chloe; it must be in the family genes, and there was no way he was going to dissuade her. "Do you at least have your vest?" 

Lane inhaled, checking the clip, and chamber of the weapon she had commandeered. "Nope, but something tells me if I get cornered down there, a vest won't exactly save me. She flicked off the safety, "Come on, let's go crash the party..."   
  
  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

  
  
  
Inside Luthorcorp  
Lucas' Office...   
  
  
The room seemed suddenly quiet, as if some strange portent had already sounded Lucas' death knell. The clock in the corner ticked ceaselessly, each sound reminding Luthor of how little time he had left before Kazuku's men reached him. He sensed the ever darkening atmosphere, and as he stuffed his most prized possessions and files into a briefcase, he began to panic. 

Things had never meant to go this far. Kent was supposed to have died hours ago, and Kazuku should never have found out about his covert third party dealings. 

Luthor scowled as he forced a set of discs into a side pocket, and suddenly realized who he should blame for his fall from power. _Lex arranged the Luthorcorp shares drop, he probably masterminded Kazuku finding out about my extra deals...He should die before I leave here..._

Hurrying further, Lucas grabbed a small titanium box from his desk, and brushing a hand over it he abruptly grinned. The Kent's thought they had won this round, perhaps even saved Clark's life with Chloe's mad dash across Metropolis with Bryce. Well soon they would be getting a surprise, and it really wasn't going to be a pleasant day down at the farm... _Now all I have to do is finish Lex, and get the hell out of here. I can regroup and plan a counter attack later..._

"Surely you weren't leaving without saying goodbye Lucas?" Vuong appeared as if from nowhere, his stealth surprising even Luthor. "You and I have a little more business to conduct my friend, although we won't be requiring a table and chairs to accomplish what I have in mind." 

Lucas stopped dead in his tracks, knowing just what Kazuku wanted. He could either fight him to the death, or perform something the Japanese called seppuku...basically an elaborate word for suicide. _I don't belong to your culture, and I sure as hell don't intend to kill myself, now or ever._

Stepping back further into his office, Lucas glanced to the wall where he kept his collection of swords. Some were the finest and most expensive blades in the west, either because of their historical value, or because of the particular smith who had honed them to perfection. He gazed longingly at the topmost katana, and then let his eyes fall back to his foe. 

Kazuku approved of Luthor's approach. "I was rather hoping you would want to fight me. I've heard great things about your abilities with a blade, but can Lionel's money and tutors really replace being born into my world, like a true samurai?" He motioned back to the swords. "Shall we find out?" 

Lucas nodded and hooked down the most revered blade in his possession. According to legend, it didn't even exist, and yet Lucas had managed to procure it. How fitting that I should kill Kazuku with a piece of his own history. "I don't mind if I do..." His smirk was most offending to Vuong, just as it had been intended. 

The Japanese crime boss edged forward, eyeing the remaining katanas to make a selection, but also not wanting to trust Lucas for one living moment. Startlingly, Luthor made no move to take advantage of his already armed position, and simply waited in a warrior's stance. 

"You act far more honorably than I expected..." Still not believing Lucas hadn't tried anything, Kazuku plucked down a weapon of his own, swinging it in an arc to get the feel of its weight and balance. "A fine blade, I hope it's sharp enough when the time comes to give you a swift death!" 

Lucas peeled off his expensive casual jacket, and tossed it over his briefcase, leaving only a loose fitting designer T-shirt to fight in. "Let's dance Ishii..." He used the mobster's middle name mockingly, "and may the smartest man win..." 

Kazuku took the remark as his cue to begin, and without waiting for anymore insults swung his weapon high, attempting to throw his enemy off balance. As Lucas retaliated, he deflected the blow with the edge of his blade, letting tiny sparks fly as metal ground on metal. The swordsman's every response showed nothing but perfection, just like every family member before him. 

Lucas felt the power of his opponent in every single move; an enemy that was so refined and accurate he knew he didn't stand a chance...not if he continued to play fair. Without even thinking his evil brain calculated what to do next, and he backed up to his desk, throwing down his own katana like a gauntlet. "Alas, I have other arrangements which force me to shorten our meeting after all Vuong..." 

The blade clattered to the carpet with a dull thud and Kazuku paused. This was not the way he had been instructed as a child, but it was what he had half expected from a Luthor. Torn between his principles and killing Lucas outright, Vuong waited just one moment too long. With his usual ironic smile, Lucas slipped a hand under his shirt, and into the small of his back. Flicking the Velcro from his concealed sports holster, he had retrieved and fired his Smith and Wesson 649 before Vuong had even exhaled. 

Luthor released the pressure on the trigger, and then squeezed again, letting off two more .357 rounds into his victim. Kazuku seemed to freeze in mid step as the impacts tore into his body, all three hammering into his torso and exiting straight out of his back. Finally his own blade dropped to the floor, shortly followed by his dead cadaver. 

Lucas stretched his shoulders, flexing his muscles, and then re-holstered his revolver without batting an eyelid. Hastening once again, he retrieved all the items he wished to take with him, and then headed down the empty corridor to the storeroom where his brother was still held. _One down, at least one more to go before I leave ... _   
  
  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

  
  
  
The Kent Farm...   
  
  
Chloe stared from the kitchen window, watching as Daryl and Karyn played around the barn that had been Clark's fortress for so long. Their laughter filled the yard with youthful pleasure, reminding Chloe of what she hoped for in her own future. One day she had thought she would bring her own child here; the child she and Clark had fought so hard for, and the baby that may now end up without a father. The thought cut deep into her very essence, and she spun around, searching for anyone she could blame. 

Lana was the only one in the room with her, sitting quietly at the table, lost in her own frightened thoughts. "Why did you let him go? He wasn't well enough to leave the farm, let alone try and save the day again!" Chloe's tone was both harsh and accusatory. "Surely there was something you could have said..." Tears came now in abundance, streaming down Chloe's face as she faced yet more uncertainty. _I shouldn't blame Lana, Clark has a mind of his own, and he had no way to know about the baby..._

Lana let Chloe finish her verbal attack, and then embraced her long time friend, knowing her words were a way of releasing her pent up, and very terrified feelings. "It's okay Chloe, just hang in there. I'm sure Jonathan will get the police out there in plenty of time." Lana handed her friend a tissue and smiled, her eyes dancing with so much conviction, that Chloe almost believed Jonathan had a chance of intercepting his son. 

She took the tissue, dabbing her face with it softly till she had wiped away most of the moisture. "I should go check on Clark's mom; I think she had a worse night than I did. How about putting on a pot of coffee while I'm gone?" 

"Sure thing, although I warn you I'm a little out of practice since I let the Talon go..." Lana's smile was infectious, and as Chloe made her way up the stairs she had to smile too._ I sometimes wish we could turn back the clock and go back to those days, back to the Torch, High school, and simple wall of weird cases..._   
  
Lana busied herself in the kitchen. The coffee would only take a moment to make, so while she waited for Chloe to come back down, she found a few of Martha's chores and began to tidy around. The old farmhouse seemed so tranquil and appealing; she wondered how so much violence could go on in the outside world, without ruining its ambiance. _I guess I spent so much time in Grandville and Metropolis, I forgot how pleasant Smallville actually can be. Maybe I should move back here some day..._

"Lana?" 

She turned to see Daryl facing her, and realized that the laughter from outside had abruptly stopped, and had been replaced by a grim silence. The kid's expression matched the deathly air that the Kent house had suddenly adopted. "Is something wrong?" Lana bent forward, resting her hands on her knees to look Daryl in the face. His pupils appeared to dilate as she drew nearer, but she knew from experience it wasn't her proximity that caused the reaction. It was something far more scary, and yet amazing. "Daryl? What did you see?" 

He gulped, squinting as if a light had been shone in his face, and then he jolted back like he'd received an electric shock. "They're coming for us..." 

Lana took him firmly by the shoulders. "Who's coming? When?" 

The eleven year old shuddered. "I was playing with Karyn. I didn't mean to focus in on anyone, but sometimes it just happens, you know that..." He looked up to Lana, "The bad men are coming here soon, and they won't leave ...not until we're all dead..."   
  
  
  



	11. Memento Mori 2:requiem Part 11

  
  
  
Inside Luthorcorp...    
  
Lois moved through the gloomily lit corridors, her hand firmly grasping the trigger of the gun she had seized. It had been no easy task to enter Luthorcorp undetected, but so far only one man had challenged her, and he wouldn't be trying again anytime soon. 

She breathed in, not wanting to turn the next corner, but knowing she must. _ I hope Clark is alright. I know he can handle himself, but we both must have been whacko to come in here like this._ Lane sprang around the bend in the passageway, her arms outstretched, and her weapon straight in front of her. There was nothing. She waited, letting her ears do the work, and a faint murmur caught her attention. At first it was like an indiscriminate scratching sound, but as she listened harder it became a more rhythmic tapping. 

The noise appeared to come from a nearby room, and as Lois moved towards it, she noted there was no nameplate or description on the entrance. _Great, some bad guy could be in there just waiting for me to poke my head in...or on the other hand... _Keeping the automatic in one palm, she tried the doorknob with her free hand, and realized it was securely locked. Whatever was in the room wasn't supposed to get out, or was at least too important to allow free access. 

Risking all, Lane stood back slightly and rapped on the metal surface. "Hello? Anybody in there?" The tapping sound grew louder, till it culminated in an intense knocking of wood on concrete. Lane licked her lips. _So, is this a trap, or is someone locked in? _

Stepping back further, she aimed her weapon on the door, and let off a single round. The lock exploded, as her almost point blank shot tore into the stainless steel barrel, and burst out the other side. Tentatively she kicked open the steel door, keeping her body well out of anyone insides view, till she was sure it was clear. 

In the center of the floor, Lane could she a shadowy figure tied to a chair. As she cautiously entered, she noted the noise she had heard was from the seat being rocked back and forth on the concrete. "Lex?" The man before her was almost unrecognizable; dried blood covered parts of his head and face, and harsh purple bruises showed where he had been beaten. He nodded his head as she said his name again. "Oh my God, Lex..." 

Lois tugged off the gag first, and then moved down to his hands. Raw, weeping sores greeted her where the cuffs had bit into his flesh, but as she tugged at them to get a better view, he didn't complain. There was obviously no key available, which left only her automatic as a means of removal. It was a task made harder by the angle at which he had been shackled, and Lois shook slightly as she placed the gun near his hands. 

Lex sensed her unease, and managed to croak out a few words of reassurance. "Just do it Lois...I have every faith..." 

Lane took his advice and swiftly pulled the trigger, knowing she was wasting valuable time while ever she waited. Lex felt the center of the cuffs give way, as several of the metallic links holding them together disintegrated. 

Then Lane moved onto the pair binding his feet to the chair. Again she fired, and the millionaire found himself free. "We have to hurry Lex; this place is like being in a war zone..." 

Lex nodded, but needed a minute to allow the blood back into his aching muscles. He rubbed at his ankles and wrists to alleviate the painful cramps spiking through them, then looked up to his liberator through bloodshot eyes. "Clark?" 

Lois smiled, happy to be the bearer of some good news. "He's okay...well at least I hope he is." She poked her head around the door, convinced she had heard a noise, but there was only distant gunfire. "Clark came in here after you, and I was stupid enough to say I'd help." 

"In that case, Thanks." Lex's lips curled slightly in amusement. "May I suggest we go find him then, and get out of here?" Testing his body, Lex stood from the chair and found he could walk unaided. The thought pleased him, because he'd never had to lean on a woman in his life, and he had no intention of starting now. 

"There's just one thing, we have to hurry and find Clark, because he doesn't have his abilities anymore...the virus took them. He can be hurt as easily as you or me..." Lane suddenly looked worried again. "I don't want him going on a one man vendetta against your brother..." 

"Oh, but you needn't worry about that Miss Lane..." Lucas smirked as he appeared in the still open doorway. At his side he carried his all important briefcase, and a hold-all with his larger possessions, including the katana he had fought Kazuku with. Laying them down, he moved in closer. "I wish I could stay and talk more about your partner's gifts, I so wanted to know just what he can do, and how, but it would seem time has beaten me once again..." 

Saying no more, Lucas reached once more behind his back to the hidden holster, and with a flick of his wrist the revolver was out, and he fired. He wasted no poetic words, and gave no chance for his victim to retaliate. 

Lois saw the flash of silver as he drew the weapon, and tried in vain to get off a shot of her own. She tugged at her trigger just as Lucas' first projectile slammed into her chest, smashing her straight back into the far wall. Her head rebounded on the hard surface, and as he fired again, a smear of blood followed her down to the floor from the back of her skull. 

Having aimed twice for the heart, Lucas ran forward grinning, intent on going for the head shot just for effect. The killing was becoming pleasurable now, and as he pulled back the trigger again, he cursed when all that came was a click. He shook the Smith and Wesson in an angry rebuke, and then realized the fault was his own; he had used all five slugs, and had brought no reload. "NO!" 

"You never could control your temper, could you brother?" Lex stared at Lucas, his words scolding, and wondered if he could make a dash to the automatic Lois had dropped. He wasn't going to die here and let her death, and Berman's be futile. If anyone had to finish this, then he knew it was his destiny. 

Lucas looked at the gun slyly. "Thinking of making a grab for it Lex? What say we both try?" Another almost crazed smirk appeared, "And may the smartest man win..."   
  
  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

  
  
  
The Kent Farm...   
  
  
Skeet Henrikson flexed his shoulders and yawned, his dark, S.W.A.T style attire making him uncomfortable in the confines of the blacked out SUV. He cradled his Heckler and Koch G36, and checked his spare clips one more time before looking over to his three companions. All were ex military men, and none of them could be said to have a conscience. It wasn't something they could afford in this business. 

"Okay guys, this is the place," The driver pulled over at the bottom of the Kent driveway and killed the ignition, "I'm told to expect anywhere between three to eight adults, possibly two kids. No one is to be allowed to leave the premises alive. Understood?" 

Henrikson and his companions nodded and exited the unmarked vehicle. At this distance their targets wouldn't have heard the engine, but from now their journey must be a swift one, and on foot or they wouldn't achieve the goal of stealth. None of their number could afford to be seen until they were at close range, because even though the main phone line was down, someone might still have a cell phone in the Kent household. 

Henrikson gestured to his tag partner and subordinate that they would take the barn and outbuildings, while the second pair cleared the house and other areas of possible targets. From here on in, every movement would be controlled by hand signals alone, so that any noises they heard could quickly be identified as the enemy. _The enemy...Jesus Skeet, how can you call two defenseless kids the enemy? Adults are one thing, but killing the kids... _The retired soldier shook the thought from his mind. He couldn't afford to think like that, and if the others found out that he had, he would be removed from the unit permanently. 

Ahead, a flash of color caught his attention, and he leveled his weapon at the movement; then signaled to his companion that they should close in. The figure had only been small, and with pang of guilt Henrikson realized it was one of the children. _He's headed for the old storm cellar, there's nowhere for him to run from there... _ Feeling guilty, Skeet took point, keeping the HK36 tucked to his midsection ready to sweep the confined area. 

Once at the bottom of the steps, he stared into the gloom, and then waved his associate down. Breaking the rules he looked at his younger colleague and spoke, keeping his voice low. "It's just a kid...I don't want any stray shots. Clean and quick you understand? No suffering..." 

The second man nodded, and then whirled as the double wooden doors above them both clattered shut unexpectedly. "What the..." He raced up the dusty stairs, and kicked out at the heavy timbers, attempting to budge them. When he finally grasped the entrance had been locked, he sniggered. "Nice try, but a padlock isn't about to do squat!" Raising his gun, he let off a small burst of fire, splintering and shattering the wood in a myriad of minuscule sections. He kicked again, and this time the obliterated shutters gave way and he stormed back outside, searching for the enemy. Never once did he consider that he had done the unthinkable, and left his partner Skeet behind in the darkness to his greatest foe...   
  
Henrikson ran after his team mate, trying to stop his rash actions, but the youth lacked his experience and ignored his orders. "Hey, cease fire now dammit!" He reached the outside, about to reprimand his underling more, but a frightened voice called him back. 

"Please don't hurt me Sir; I haven't done anything to anyone..." The statement came from the obscurity below, and Skeet knew he must finish the job he was being paid for. It wasn't the money, but rather that he didn't want to fail Luthor. 

With a heavy heart he returned to the cellar, lowering his weapon slightly to appear less alarming to the child. "Just come on out kiddo, no one will hurt you..." 

"Yeah right...tell that to all your victims?" This time the voice came out scathing and sarcastic, and as Henrikson spun around he knew he too had been tricked, just like his younger counterpart. 

It wasn't the kid that stood before him; it was a short little blonde woman, with a cold, steely fire in her eyes that said she meant business. Skeet grabbed at the firearm he had been so remiss in letting hang loose on its strap, but the reaction came all too late. 

Chloe had been waiting, wanting to make someone feel the pain Clark had been through, and now it was her chance. With one swift action, she brought the blunt end of Clark's old wood chopping maul down on her opponent's gun. Henrikson fell back with the impact, and the HK's strap fell from his shoulder, allowing it to drop to the floor. 

"You think you can just come in here and kill women and kids?" Chloe's temper was totally out of control, and she tried to swing the maul again. Its weight however was far too much for her, and it fell from her grip, slamming into the earth floor with a thump. 

Henrikson made a roll for it, grabbing the wooden handle with his outstretched hand. Chloe hadn't finished just yet though, and charged at him with a small garden sprayer in hand. "Oh no you don't!" Kicking out she stomped on the killer's knuckles, then let fire with the spray, spurting insecticide of unknown origin straight in his eyes. "How does it feel to get sprayed back huh? Next time pick on someone else's husband!" _See how these guys like a dose of their own medicine..._

Skeet screamed as a blistering agony engulfed his face and retinas, and he rubbed instinctively to try and swipe away the pain inducing chemical. The action seemed to only intensify his torture, and he writhed on the floor, begging for water for his burning skin. In that moment, if Chloe had any she would have given it, because no one deserved to suffer like that. Her conscience however, told her that Martha and Lana might need her assistance first, and she turned to the corner where Daryl had been hiding since he'd acted as bait. 

"Daryl, I'm going to tie this guy up, and then I want you to stay hidden till either me, Martha or Lana come to get you. Okay?" 

The eleven year old nodded, and then carried out a section of twine he had spotted in the far corner of the gloom. Chloe ruffled his hair, and then began to bind her captive as quickly as her shaking hands allowed...   
  
  
The second team moved up onto the Kent porch, proceeding warily into the farmhouse; an eerie silence telling them the Kent's may have been already alerted of their presence. Nothing in the home seemed to stir, and as the lead hit man moved to the bottom of the staircase, he grew concerned that their quarry may have already fled. 

From somewhere above footsteps echoed across onto the landing, and water began to gush from an opened faucet. The leader signaled to his companion, and the pair stormed up the stairs without further pause, spraying the Kent's bathroom with a deluge of bullets. When the dust and debris settled, the leader stepped cautiously inside to find the room empty, and water still pouring into the bath like a waterfall. 

It was like some cat and mouse game, and not something he had expected from a simple farming family. "Sanderson?" He called to his team mate, abruptly realizing he had not followed into the recently annihilated room as he should have. 

There was no reply, no sound at all. The killer gulped._ Someone is systematically splitting us up, ready for the kill. How can the hunters suddenly become the hunted? We're only dealing with some country yokels, and maybe a couple of city cops..._

A scuffling and then a scratching noise erupted, catching his attention. It appeared to come from the Kent's attic, and that meant climbing more stairs without backup, and in a very vulnerable position. _What if Sanderson is up there..._Climbing the steps two at a time, the killer guardedly peered into the upper floor, keeping his firearm in a firm grip. If he had been honest, he had expected an ambush, but as he ascended further all he could see was his partner's prone form sprawled across the dusty floor. 

Jumping from the last step, he crouched beside his fallen friend, who seemed to sense his presence, and began to stir. "Sanderson, how the hell did you get like this?" 

Lana huffed. "Because I hit him with this?" 

The leader whirled, but suddenly found something wooden exploding in his face. He took the blow surprisingly well however, and kicked back out at his opponent, while still regaining his composure. 

Lana saw the reprisal coming, and tried to dodge the huge boot heal, but the man was just too fast. She felt herself impact with a roof beam, and lay momentarily dazed on the floor as he leapt up for further revenge. 

"You know I hate women who think they're smart..." He grabbed Lana's flowing hair, about to tug her along the floor with it, but Martha, appearing from the shadows had other ideas. Picking up Clark's old guitar she swung it across the hit man's back, splitting the neck off, and angering the assassin further. 

The maneuver did at least have the desired effect, and he forgot all about Lana, wanting to suddenly hurt Martha more. The mother shrugged as he closed in. "Clark could never play that thing anyway...he always broke the strings..." She backed up, offering a strange smile. 

The assassin frowned. _Is she crazy? I'm about to break her neck, and she's babbling about guitar strings?_ He advanced, thinking he didn't need a weapon to finish this one, but then something cold and metal suddenly closed around his neck. 

Grabbing at the cool, steely wire with his fingers, he at last understood what had happened. Martha wasn't crazy after all, and had been making a suggestion to her young companion. 

As Lana tugged more on the guitar string, the killer felt it begin to cut into the flesh on his neck, and he gasped, and then choked in surprise at her strength. "Bitch!" He kicked back, trying to spin away from her tiny frame, but Lana held him fast. 

"I've had enough of creeps like you all through my life..." Lana put her knee into his back, just to reassert she had control, "And I don't intend to sit and take it anymore!" She looked to Martha with total confidence, "Mrs. Kent, can you tie this guy's hands?" 

Martha nodded, then realized that in their hasty planning, they had not brought anything with them to use. For now, she bound their captive with an old belt of Jonathan's. Then apologetically, she began to rummage through old packing boxes for anything more suitable, trying desperately to rush. The rustling and noise of delving through crates almost masked the sound of their next problem...almost. 

From the top of the stairs, both Martha and Lana heard the soft click of a gun's safety being flicked off, and as they turned both knew their fight was over. Leering at them, with a 45 in one hand, and covering Chloe's mouth with the other, stood Henrikson's rash partner. He held his victim tightly, pulling her close to him with an iron grip. "Well, quite a bit of girl power you have there..." He waved the automatic at them, "I want my friend untied, and I just might kill you all quick..." 

Martha shot a glance to Lana. There was nothing they could do, and if death was to come, Martha had no intention of going quietly. Chloe was held silent by her captor's hand, but her frightened eyes were saying the same thing..._Don't do as he asked, I'm as good as dead either way... _

"I won't ask again..." The man jerked Chloe's head back with a twist, "next time I break it..." 

"No!" A child's squeal of terror and fear filled the attic, and from her hiding place Karyn burst into view, grabbing at the assassin till he almost dropped his gun. Not caring who he killed, he let off a shot at the terrified eleven year old, but he was overbalanced by the force of her collision. 

The slug tore into a nearby roof section, ripping a tiny hole that leaked in sunlight. Karyn however didn't even notice she had been a target, so committed was she to her task. Seizing the aggressor's leg she bit down hard, and amazed the killer howled in pain, and reeled slightly backwards to throw her off. The movement was a risky one, because of how near he was to the top of the steps, and as he overbalanced and teetered, he let go of his burden to save himself from falling. Chloe screamed as she was released from his grip, only to fly backwards down the stairwell, with nothing to brace her fall save the steps, and a ruthlessly hard floor. 

Chloe yelled one more time, then as the jolt of hitting the bottom stair shot through her, she fell mercifully into nothingness. Above her, the fate of the farm and much more now lay in the hands of two unarmed women, and one very incensed kid...   
  
  



	12. Memento Mori 2: Requiem Part 12

  
  
  
Outside Luthorcorp...   
  
  
The Sheriff's police cruiser pulled silently up to a secondary entrance of the Luthorcorp plant, its engine dying as Walters cut the power. She gazed around cautiously, and then glanced to her passenger with a concerned frown. "Seems kind of deserted...I thought they had a guard at every gate..." 

Jonathan Kent shot the peace officer a look of contempt. "I've been trying to tell you, something is going on here, and my son and his partner need help!" He tugged at the car's door handle, but Walters put a restraining hand on his arm. 

"Sir, you know I can't let you go out there, no more than I could let you run rampant with that shotgun. I'll go take a look, and if I think it necessary I'll call out some back up. Now you stay put, you hear?" Her stern gaze said she wouldn't take no for an answer. 

Jonathan nodded, but already didn't like the feeling he was getting in the pit of his stomach. Something was off here, and it was way more than a missing security guard at his post. _Why do I have the idea that if she hadn't confiscated it, my father's shotgun would have come in handy anytime soon? _ The farmer rubbed the bottom of his jaw, as he watched the sheriff approach the Luthorcorp gate, gun drawn. He had no doubt that she was a fine cop, but right now he also thought she was in way over her head. _Why doesn't she just call for backup...?_

Walters pushed on the wire mesh entrance, and it swung open with a rusty screech. It wasn't locked, and no alarms rang, or guards appeared at her little invasion. Apparently intrigued, but unafraid, she carried on to a side door and entered the seemingly abandoned building. 

As the cop vanished from sight, Jonathan fidgeted more. _Something is just so wrong here..._ Suddenly unwilling to follow the Sheriff's orders to stay put, he jumped from his seat, and began to tug at the standard issue shotgun Walters had in her car. It was fastened in by some kind of security clamp, but Jonathan wasn't about to let that stop him. Searching the ground around the cruiser, he found a suitable rock and began to smash away at the locking device. For a moment he even thought about using the vehicle's radio to summon more help, but after what he had just construed, could anyone be trusted?   
  
  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

  
  
  
Clark edged out from an abandoned office and sighed. He hadn't found any sign of Lex so far, and he also hadn't seen any of Kazuku's men in over fifteen minutes. There was no way to be sure, but he guessed whatever was going on here had reached some kind of conclusion, and that might not be good news for anyone. There was only one place now left to check, before doubling back to where Lois was searching, and he didn't like the idea one bit. 

As he approached the steel doors to the infamous level 3 area, he paused, his hand outstretched tentatively, expecting the evil pain of kryptonite exposure to tear into him. 

"Hold it right there Sonny!" 

Clark turned slowly, his hands raised. Strangely he didn't recognize the woman cop before him, and his brow furrowed. "I'm a cop with the Metropolis P.D." He offered, "But I don't know you...Where's Adams?" 

Walters scrutinized Kent with an unfathomable stare, and then lowered her weapon slightly. "Adams is indisposed, I'm standing in. Now I don't suppose you have any I.D. on you Detective Kent?" 

Clark shook his head; his badge and driver's license had all been in his other clothes, and Martha had those right now. Thinking about it, he had no proof of the woman cop's identity either, and that bothered him. _How does she know my name, and that I'm a detective?_ Had he the use of his powers, he could have utilized his x-ray vision to help perceive if she was lying, but now he had to apply simple logic instead. "I don't have any identification, but then how do I know if you're for real either...?" 

Walters dropped the gun to her side, apparently giving in and trusting him, for no apparent reason. "We don't have time for all of this. I need to know just what's been going on in here..." Smiling suddenly, she offered Clark her free hand, "Sorry if I was a bit terse there, I came out here with your father, and I really never expected to find this mess. I'm Sheriff Walters..." 

Kent took the cop's hand to shake, and then quite surprisingly, grabbed the 45 from her and stepped back out of her reach. The weapon felt cold and evil in his grasp, and although he no longer had his powers, he still abhorred its sole purpose. Nevertheless he pointed the sidearm at Walters, hoping to bluff his way along with it until he could get more help. _God, I hope my Dad is safe..._ "You were the one in the alleyway who poisoned me..." 

Walters stayed silent. She had no intention of giving him any answers. 

"Did you kill Adams to take her place too?" Clark carried on with his barrage of questions anyway. "What about Lex? Is what Lucas paid you worth it all?" 

"I won't answer your petty queries..." Walters, or whatever her real name was smirked, "But if you insist on talking...How did you know who I was? I didn't make any mistakes..." As she spoke she eyed the gun in Kent's hand, and then edged ever so slightly closer. _He hasn't used any abilities; maybe he doesn't have them back... He won't use that thing either...he never has used a gun on anyone. If I can get close enough maybe I can take him..._

"The burn," Clark explained, "When I took your hand to shake it, I noticed the burn I put there back in Metropolis, when you sprayed me with that chemical. It's kind of like a signature I left behind..." 

Walters rubbed around the wound, wondering how she could have been so careless after all. "I guess I should have put a dressing over it, but it doesn't matter now. Lucas is done for; I doubt I'll be paid for half the work I've carried out here..." She let her words appear defeatist, as if she had resigned herself to capture now, but in reality it was a ruse as ever. 

Waiting until she dare not creep closer, the fake sheriff dived at Clark, knowing even without his extra strength he would be an impressive foe. He didn't disappoint her. 

Walters rotated around on her left leg, bringing her right knee up, and snapping her foot forward in a roundhouse maneuver. The aim was to slam Clark straight in the face, but Kent managed to block it using his forearm, and then grabbed his adversary's leg, while she was still vulnerable from the ill-fated kick. 

Angered, Walters managed to twist away from his grasp in classic martial arts style, and renewed her attack with an elbow strike straight to Kent's chin. "I see my little shot of mace worked wonders on you..." Her sarcasm bit deep, as did her move. 

Clark stumbled back into the wall, his lip bloodied, and the 45 clattered from his hand, and spun across the floor. He only just managed to dodge a second blow from his opponent, and had no chance of retrieving the weapon. Walters fist slammed into the plaster, just as Kent slipped away to the side, and reluctantly laid a punch of his own. _I don't think I'll ever get used to hitting a woman..._

His blow was half-hearted, and Walters guessed why as she fell back a little from the swipe. "I admire your chivalry Kent, but it will get you killed...especially now you have no abilities..." She leered, and then came rapidly forward. It was most enjoyable to finally have a foe worthy enough to fight. 

Clark backed up again, realizing without his gifts, he would be hard pushed to stop this hardened killer without hurting her. _When today is through, if I live, my career as a cop is over..._

"Shying away again?" Sensing his unwillingness to attack, the assassin decided to have some fun, and used a thrusting front kick to liven up her rival. 

Clark caught the blow however, and this time spun Walters around, pulling her into a tight choke hold with his still muscular arms. Had his foe been anyone else, it might have been enough to restrain her, but she had expected his every action as soon as he had begun to execute them. _Without you're gifts Kent, you're no match for my C.I.A. training..._

This time Walters fought dirty, biting hard into Kent's hand like a vampire, until she drew a fine trickle of blood. Unconsciously, his grip relaxed a fraction, and she followed up with an agonizing back kick straight to his groin. The blow brought tears to the once invulnerable cop's eyes, and he reeled backwards with the force of the impact. Surprisingly though, he still kept a tenuous grip on his enemy, and the pair smashed straight into the level 3 doors with a collective grunt. 

Under the strain of their combined weights, the double metal entry finally gave way, and both Clark and his quarry found themselves on the floor of Bryce's extensive research area. In the dim light it appeared almost benign, but Clark knew he had to be even more careful here, because somewhere, there would undoubtedly be a source of the evil kryptonite. 

Walters realized it too, and leapt to her feat triumphantly, as she spotted a stand containing several different sprays. She knew what they contained from past experience, and that with just one dose Kent would be finished for good this time. 

Laughing, she bent low over Clark before collecting the correct aerosol. "If only you had fought me like I know you are capable of...who knows, you just might have won..." 

Clark gazed into her eyes, knowing she was right, but that he would never sink to her level and kill. He writhed from the pain her kick had caused, struggling to catch his breath and rise before she grabbed a spray. The agony in every muscle though seemed so intense, and as he looked around desperately, he finally saw why. 

Beyond Bryce's functional desk, cabinets, and lab set up stood six innocuous looking barrels. From the corroded edge of one, leaked an emerald executioner that could not only kill Clark, but maybe half of Metropolis too, should it get in the wrong hands. 

Clark coughed, feeling its effects already on his weak body, and then turned back just in time to see Walters heading for him with a deadly atomizer...   
  
  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

  
  
  
Lex leapt towards the gun on the floor, his arm extended ready to grab its butt and put it to good use on his brother; should he get the opportunity. He expected Lucas to make a dive too, and almost stopped in his tracks, when he noted the younger Luthor hadn't moved. 

Instead of lunging carelessly for the weapon, Lucas pulled a small Tanto from under his jacket, and with a quick tug unsheathed the deadly blade. He grinned, and then with a calculated pitch, let the oriental dagger fly. It struck home far faster than Lex could grab the automatic, and he howled as the razor sharp steel bit into his flesh, abruptly forgetting all thoughts of the gun he so desperately needed. 

As a burning pain began to seep up his arm, Lex felt the warmth of his own blood leaching through his shirt sleeve, and dribbling onto his pants. He ignored the sensation, swiftly recognizing the need to react, or be killed. The millionaire stumbled back slightly, and then as he bumped into the wall, he grabbed the Tanto's hilt and gritted his teeth. 

Pulling the blade from his own arm wasn't the easiest of tasks, but he was spurred on by the fact that Lucas was now retrieving a much larger weapon from his duffle bag. 

Lucas swung the Katana in an arc, letting its potency sink in with his brother. "Why don't you just let me finish this Lex? One swift blow to the neck and it would be all over..." He watched as his sibling yanked the smaller dagger from his forearm, and almost collapsed with the effort, as metal grated on bone. "You can't fight me in your condition, yield to my superiority dear brother..." 

Lex hung his head low, catching his breath, and letting his agony turn to rage. He blinked, looking through swollen and bloodied eyes, and then totally out of character, made a frontal assault at his foe. The attack was unexpected, and almost insane in nature, but it was just what Lucas hadn't counted on. 

The two Japanese swords collided with a spark, as each brother gave victory their best shot... like raging bulls locking horns in a show of power. Of the pair, Lucas had indisputably the most strength to give, but Lex had always been the better swordsman, and right now was the most incensed. 

"You never could beat me in a fair fight..." Lex virtually spat the words out, as he repelled every lunge with equal force, and then made a jab of his own. 

Lucas parried the thrust and made a suitable counter move. "I don't need to beat you Lex. Your temper will do that for me...Don't you ever put father's teaching's to good use?" 

Lex inhaled, and wished he had a weapon more up to the task. _I remember... I remember fighting him to try and save jobs at Luthorcorp, and even when I won, he still found a way to defy me in the end..._Knowing Lucas would cheat again, should he be given the chance, Lex concluded he must be the first to utilize subterfuge. 

With every well timed blow from Lucas, he let his body be pushed back towards the wall; and nearer to the gun on the floor. He feigned weakness enough to let his brother think he would win, and then at the very last moment, sprang forward like a panther seizing its prey. Lucas rose to the offensive, just as Lex had hoped, and slammed the Katana down hard using both hands. 

Instead of defending from the blow however, Lex dropped hard to the floor, and rolled to his left. Lucas' sword screamed as it hit the wall, tiny flakes of the ancient blade embedding in the brickwork, and ruining its perfect cutting edge. 

He screeched, infuriated that someone had outsmarted him, and swung his now damaged weapon around for a second charge. "I should have killed you years ago..." 

"Perhaps you should..." From his prone position on the floor, Lex let his inferior dagger drop from his palm, and abruptly his lips curled in a wry smirk. In the Tanto's place he had managed to retrieve Lois' gun, and was now pointing it at his brother. This time it was his ploy that had paid off. "I have no wish to kill you Lucas. Why don't you stop this façade of bravado and give in to the inevitable?" 

Lucas huffed, allowing the now splintered Katana to fall to his side, but not losing his grip on its hilt. He looked deeply at the bald man before him, the man he had never truly called a brother. "We were always worlds apart, you and I. Even when I discovered who my true father was, I never expected to be taken in and accepted as a Luthor..." 

"And yet you had it all, Luthorcorp, money, our father's respect...You had more than even I could have dreamed for in the end. And yet you threw it all away...even had Dad disposed of..." Lex wiped away a stray drop of blood from his reopened head wound, and continued, "Why?" 

"Because I could? Because our father would have done it to us in the end if I hadn't, just like he did to our grandparents?" Lucas didn't even know anymore. His questioning tone said it all. What had begun as a vendetta against one evil man, had turned him into something no better, maybe even worse. "Does it even matter why? It was predestined that one of us at least, would follow in his footsteps." He shrugged, succumbing to his fate. "As Julius Caesar said, 'the die is cast...' " 

"There is always a chance to change..." 

Lucas shook his head, surrendering to what he knew he would have to do next. He had lived on the edge, taking whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, and now it was time to visit the reaper and pay his penance. With one last smile he looked to Lex. "I don't want to change..." As he said the last words, he made one final death charge at his brother, knowing Lex would have no choice but to pull the trigger, or die by his sword. It was ironic, but in the end Kazuku had still won, because this was still nothing more than ritual suicide. 

Lex waited until the last possible moment, not wanting to be the man who killed his own brother, but in the end he had no choice but to squeeze hard on the trigger. With a resounding crack the bullet tore from the weapon, slamming into Lucas, and sending him hurtling back onto the floor. He didn't squirm, or even move, but Lex couldn't bring himself to check if he was truly dead. The millionaire had stared death in the face many times, but to have killed his own brother nauseated him to the extreme. _Why couldn't it have been someone else? Lucas got nothing more than he deserved... but to die by my hand was so wrong... _

Gulping, Lex let the gun fall from his grasp, and he began to tremble as the shock of his harrowing ordeal began to sink in. For a time, it appeared he would collapse to the floor out of mental and physical exhaustion. _I can't let myself go just yet. Clark is still out there...maybe he needs my help... _

Glancing to where Lois lay so deathly still, Lex felt his wrath return with a vengeance. From deep within, adrenalin fueled hate began to take control, and he headed for the door, before his newfound energy waned. He wasn't thinking straight, or he would have picked up the gun he had dropped, but in his haste he left without any kind of protection...   
  
  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

  
  
  
Clark had confronted his enemies many times in his life, but only once had he been as powerless as he felt right now. A fleeting vision of Eric Summers flashed across his subconscious, and somehow it spurred him on. _I had no abilities back then either, but I faced my mortality that night and won..._Without time to think further, Clark pushed up on his elbows, and kicked out at Walters shins as she speedily approached. His strength was fading fast, but the fight wasn't over yet. 

Clark's huge boot missed her shinbone, and caught the sheriff's left ankle instead, impacting where only a thin layer of skin protected bone. It was only a glancing blow, but it had the desired effect, and Walters fell forward with the spray still in her hand. _She can't depress the trigger this close, or she'll inhale it too! She has no mask..._

Realizing he had to keep the battle at close quarters, Kent stayed down and let his feet do the work. As Walters rolled over from her fall, Clark booted her straight in the face, trying to gauge his force to limit the damage. It wasn't easy to judge the potency of his moves anymore however, and as his sole slammed into her nose, he felt something give way. 

A gush of blood, and a howl of rage from his foe made Kent feel guilty, but then his common sense took control of his conscience. _I can't be vulnerable in front of her again, or she'll win...I only have so long before that kryptonite in the barrels brings me down... _

Clark paused a second to see Walters drop the spray, and clutch at her crushed nasal bones in fury. From her manner he knew she was only further incensed, and would retaliate more. There would be no talking her down; he would have to use reasonable force. _I have to stop her...there are ways without killing. If she hadn't taken my gifts, it would have been so easy... _

Convinced he was doing the right thing, Kent scrambled painfully to his feet, just as Walters regained her composure. She wiped a hand under her shattered nose, then spat out clots of blood that were trickling down the back of her throat in abundance. 

Clark didn't expect any words from her now, and he knew it was useless to try and reconcile their differences. All he could do was attempt to guess her strategy, just as she would his. And Walters was oh so good at that... 

Walters tugged her police issue baton from the holster she wore, and then undid the buckle, letting the empty leather belt slip to the floor. "Too cumbersome..." She hissed, a sudden vehemence tainting her voice. "I like to fight free of impediments..." 

Kent skirted evasively to his right, needing to put more room between his ailing body and the lethal drums, or lose the imminent fight. Walters noted his avoidance, and snorted as she sucked in air through her mouth. "Just dying to get away aren't you?" She wheezed. 

Clark didn't reply. In her attempt to goad him, Walters had given him a clue to her own debility. _She's struggling to breathe. She won't be as adept at her moves; breathing is all part of the technique in her style of combat... _

The revelation gave the detective a fresh surge of hope, and cashing in on his adversary's cockiness, he made a lunge for the nearby double doors. If he could just escape the effects of the kryptonite, then perhaps the odds would now be more in his favor. 

Walters anticipated his reaction, knowing it would be her choice too, should she be in his position. Sneering, she rotated the baton in her hand, sizing up her target, and then hurled the heavy stick at the back of Kent's legs. The weapon hit just where she had aimed, forcing Clark's muscles to spasm, and compelling his right knee to give way. He tried frantically to clamber back up, but Walters wasn't about to let that happen. 

Using a hand at each end of the baton, the bogus cop looped it over Kent's head, and yanked back hard. It was a simple tactic, effectively squeezing his windpipe closed the more she tugged backwards. "Hey Sonny, you can't go without your medicine, surely you know that..." Dragging Clark back into the room, she headed straight towards the drums he was so allergic to. 

Clark rasped, clawing back at her hands until he got a grip on the baton. Using all his remaining energy, he wrenched violently on the weapon, keeping his own body as low as possible. The move caused Walters to lose her balance, and she was pitched straight over Kent's head, with the sheer momentum of his endeavor. 

Choking, Clark made it to his feet just in time to see a new barrage of kicks headed his way. If nothing else, this woman was relentless to the extreme. He ducked the first volley, and then brought his fist around straight into Walters ruined nose. He didn't want to hurt her, but right now it was her weak spot, and it might help end the fight early. The remnants of cartilage and bone exploded, as his bloodied knuckles contacted with her already flattened proboscis, and she reeled backwards. 

"Don't worry..." Clark offered, "You won't need to bother about your appearance where you're going. I hear the Kansas State Prison fails to notice such things..." 

Walters screamed, and seized a large conical flask from Bryce's workbench, slamming it across Kent's head with all the force she could muster. He deflected most of the blow with his forearm, but still felt the sting, as several tiny shards of glass embedded in his skin. The container's innocuous liquid contents dribbled down his face and hand, but he had little time to notice. Walters had an even larger beaker in her hand now, and from the color of the chemical within, Clark knew he had to be more cautious with this projectile. 

"Come and get it farm boy..." Walters lobbed her liquid grenade and then charged forward. 

Kent sprang sideways, allowing his body to impact with Bryce's desk, and hoping to avoid the flying beaker's path. The glass container caught the edge of the scientist's table however, shattering into innumerable shards. The malevolent liquid it held sprayed out like a geyser erupting, and Clark was caught in its path. Spatters of the emerald demon splashed onto his jeans, and immediately began to soak through to the flesh beneath. There would be no time to wipe it away, or take off the effected clothes before his rival finished him off. _It's over...unless..._

Walters saw her foe deteriorate as he came into contact with the chemical, and knew this was her chance. She wouldn't need a weapon now; she could do this job the old fashioned way, with her bare hands. He deserved nothing less after destroying her features... 

Clark let her advance, and believe that she was in total control of the scene. Then, as her assassin's hands closed around his neck, he snatched Bryce's keyboard from the desk, and slammed it down hard on Walters's skull. One blow was all it took, and as her eyes glazed and she crumpled to the floor, Clark felt compelled to check that he hadn't gone too far. _What if I hit too hard? What if...? _He had had no choice, but still the self-reproach became unbearable. 

Clark leaned, intending to check Walters for a pulse, but his body had taken a battering of its own, and instead he fell forward, surrendering to his own mortality. Rolling onto his back, he lay there panting, and in agony. _I wonder how long it will take for the kryptonite to finish the job the virus started?_ The ceiling above him began to spin, and he welcomed the darkness, for at least it brought with it a respite from the never-ending pain... _I pray it was worth it Chloe...I pray you'll forgive me some day, for leaving you alone..._   
  
  



	13. Memento Mori 2:Requiem Part 13

  
  
_Thanks so much for your reviews! _   
  
  
  
The sound of medics working was a familiar one to Kent. He had been present at many crime scenes, and witnessed many accidents, in his time with the Metropolis Police. Now, as he heard the E.M.T's conversation, it seemed surreal to think that he was the one dying. _I wonder what they will think I died of when they take me in..._

"Clark?" Kent stopped his morose thoughts, recognizing the voice, and knowing it was much closer than the medics he could hear talking. "Clark? Come on, I can't very well carry you out of here..." 

Clark felt a gentle nudge, and responded with a grunt. "Don't prod so hard, it hurts!" He flinched, and then unscrewed his eyes slightly to see Lex's battered face looking down at him. "For a minute there when I heard the paramedics, I thought I was..." 

Lex put a hand to his head, as exhaustion took a hold. "When I found you in there," He gestured towards the level 3 doors, "I thought you were too, but once I dragged you out here, you began to improve. I went back then to check on the sheriff..." 

Suddenly remembering Walters, Clark dragged his body up onto his elbows, so that he could see where she had fallen. It was then that he understood who the medics had been working on, and the sight that waited made him cringe. The fake cop had been loaded onto a gurney, a blanket covering her whole body and face. It didn't take a genius to work out that she was dead, and he felt instantly guilty. _I shouldn't have hit so hard..._

Lex saw his friend's face, and looked to the floor. "I know what you're thinking Clark, but I had little choice, and to be honest she got what she deserved." 

"You had little choice?" Kent raised a brow, becoming more confused by the second. _I thought it was my blow that did the damage..._

"I had no clue who she was, not when I went back in there. But when I tried to drag her out she came at me with one of these spray things..." Lex opened his bruised palm, and showed Clark the offending canister. "It was kill, or be killed...and frankly, I find it ironic she died by her own weapon. In fact, I think she was the one who kidnapped me, and brought me here... " 

Clark searched deep into Lex's eyes, looking for the real truth. He had expected the quote 'Live by the sword, die by the sword' from his friend, or at least some suitably sardonic citation, but instead all he got was silence. _Did Lex snap, and finish Walters when he thought I was dead? Or did she really attack him?_

The expression on Lex's beaten face gave no clues away, and he seemed simply relieved it was all over. Whether Clark believed his story or not, it didn't matter; a person could only be pushed so far. 

Appreciating how much Lex had endured, Clark changed the subject, abruptly recalling his partner and father were missing. "Have you seen Lois? Or my dad?" He groaned as he finally sat all the way up, "Lois came in here with me, and I'm kind of worried..." 

"She was the one who found me...Lucas would have killed me, if not for her..." 

Kent frowned. He didn't like the way his question hadn't been directly answered, but he was afraid to ask more, because he was sure what the response would be. He gulped, thinking of how they had worked together, and of how fond of Lane he had become. "Was it quick?" He eventually queried. 

"Quick yes...painless no!" 

Both Lex and Clark fought aching muscles, and fading strength, to turn towards the voice. And both called out her name in unison, at her very alive presence. "Lois!" 

Lane staggered a few yards, and then grabbed the wall for support, her head still reeling from the earlier blow she had taken. A nearby uniformed cop noted her plight, and offered a hand over to her two fatigued chums. She thanked him, then collapsed to the floor and exhaled. "You two guys look about as bad as I feel..." 

Lex gaped. "But I saw you take two shots to the chest..." 

Reluctant to move, Lois tugged open her jacket slowly to reveal body armor. She smiled over at Clark, and then closed her eyes briefly, understanding how close to death she had been. "Kent really is a gentleman; he gave me his vest..." She let her head lean back on the wall, wanting to sleep suddenly, and from the amount of blood on the back of her skull Clark guessed she had a concussion. 

"Hey guys!" Kent shouted over the now redundant paramedics, intending for them to take care of Lois. "Can you take a look at my partner? I think she has a pretty nasty head wound here..." 

Lane immediately scowled. "I'm fine!" 

The E.M.T. carried on unabashed however, and Clark soon realized what he'd gotten himself into. "I don't know which one of you people to look at first!" The young medic shook his head as he drew closer, and saw the state of the trio. "I think you all need to get checked out at the hospital...!" 

This time there were three unanimous shouts of 'No way,' and even the medic had to smile. "Jeez, one Metropolis senator, and two seasoned cops, and I can't even talk some sense into any of them!" He kneeled anyway, opening his bag, "At least let me clean you guys up..." Starting with Lois's gash to the head, he began to clean up the ugly wound, while the friends continued their conversation. 

"So we found Lois...but what about my Dad?" Clark looked back to Lex, and this time got a bemused, and yet apologetic stare. 

"Ah..." Lex licked his dry lips, and the corners of his mouth wrinkled in mirth. "The last time I saw him, he was being placed in the back of a patrol car by a State Trooper. Something about running amok with a stolen police issue shotgun..." The millionaire smiled fondly as he thought of Jonathan, "I always knew that temper of his would get him in trouble one day! I'm sure it's nothing we can't sort out though..." 

Clark sighed, and began to drag his weary body into a standing position. From the corridor however, a scuffling and his father's voice cursing made him pause. Moments later Jonathan appeared, still cuffed, and with a very exasperated Trooper. 

"Son, Thank goodness! We have to get to the hospital right now..." Jonathan glanced pleadingly at the cop who had handcuffed him, and after a brief look to his superior, the Trooper relented and freed his prisoner. 

Clark shook his head, not yet comprehending his dad's meaning. "It's okay. I'm just a little bruised, nothing serious..." 

"You don't understand Clark. I just listened to a call over the police cruiser's radio; there's been some trouble at the farm. Apparently someone used Chloe's cell phone to call for help...The dispatcher was pretty vague, but I heard enough to know they're sending an ambulance..." 

In an instant, Clark's face grew ashen, abruptly realizing most of his family and friends had been at the farm. While everyone had made it through the ordeal here, perhaps the others had not been so lucky. _Chloe...Mom...Karyn..._Terrified, Clark turned back to the young paramedic as he tended Lois. 

"Maybe we need that ride to Smallville Medical Center after all..." He knew it was against procedure, but now that he had no speed of his own, an ambulance with lights and sirens blazing might be the quickest way to the hospital. 

The medic nodded, understanding Clark's anguish, and also wanting to get Lois to see a doctor. "You can ride in the back with your partner." He winked, and then peered at Lex, "You should get that arm sutured too..." 

This time none of the trio refused his offer of help. But as they loaded Lois in the back of the rig, Clark desperately hoped the ambulance at the Kent farm, had only been sent as a precaution. _Please don't let anyone be hurt..._Somehow though; he suspected the Kent luck had just run out...   
  
  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

  
  
  
Smallville Medical Center...   
  
There had mostly been silence on the way into the hospital. No one wanted to speculate on what might have occurred at the Kent's, although Clark had a pretty good idea it had been Lucas behind it. Lucas had engineered the entire mess, and now it was their turn to pick up the pieces. 

Clark glanced over at his long time friend, as the rig finally slowed to deliver its burden to the E.R. "I know Lucas had you and Berman attacked on the way to the farm...I'm sorry you both had to go through this because of me..." 

Lex breathed in through gritted teeth, cradling his injured arm, then hopped out first, as the rear doors popped open. "It wasn't your fault Clark. Lucas would have gotten around to me in the end anyway. I'm just sorry Dr Berman paid the price with her life..." He looked solemnly to the ground, and a flash of both anger and despair crossed his features. 

Kent knew that feeling well. It was one that weighed heavy on his mind right now, as they jogged wearily up to the help desk together, while Lois was taken straight through. _Dare I ask if anyone was brought in from home? What if...?_

A teenage girl was already making an inquiring at the nurse's station as they approached, and Clark paced as he waited his turn, then whirled to look at Lex as a thought suddenly hit him. "Berman isn't dead Lex! Lana found her yesterday after you were kidnapped. I think she was pretty badly hurt, but..." 

A sparkle of hope, and a sudden realization that he was in love filled Lex's broken heart, and he too began to get impatient at the help desk. He held back however, wanting Clark to be the first to have peace of mind; he owed him at least that much. 

Finally at the front of the queue, Clark hastily explained who he was, and why he was here, and to Lex's consternation was led instantly away down a nearby corridor. He had heard the nurse mention the doctor had wanted a quick chat, and also the word wife. _I hope I'm wrong, and if not that it's nothing serious...It took Clark so long to get his act together with Chloe..._

"Ouch! I think we better get someone to look at that arm...In fact I think you better sit before you drop... " Lex looked up, and realized he had gone into a brief daze, and that the nurse had retuned without him even noticing. She was now staring at his battered body, with a mixture of concern and disbelief. 

The millionaire shook his head, propping himself up on the desktop. "No, not yet, I can wait. I'd like to inquire about a Doctor Angela Berman...I believe she was brought in yesterday afternoon?" 

The nurse tapped at her keyboard, and then sifted through a pile of paperwork in front of her, before shaking her head. "We didn't have anyone admitted under the name Angela Berman..." Her voiced trailed, and the inflection as she said the first name, made Lex frown. 

"But you do have a Doctor Berman?" 

The nurse smiled, wondering if Lex had taken a knock to his head, as well as a laceration to his forearm. "Yes...Jacqueline Berman, brought in yesterday..." She checked again, "Are you a relative, Mr....?" 

"Lex Luthor...And no, I'm not a relative, but surely you can tell me how she is doing?" 

"Doctor Berman is stable, and all things considered, I'd say that was a miracle in itself." The nurse looked over her glasses at the bloodied individual, unsure if she really was talking to the one and only Senator Luthor. "I wish I could tell you more but..." 

Lex waved her off and limped to a seat, again going into a state of bewilderment. All those months ago, a kid had told him someone special would come into his life, and she would be named Jacqueline. For a time he had almost believed Daryl's prediction, but as weeks had gone by, the foretelling had faded to obscurity, and had been lost to his all consuming job. Now though, he knew the love he felt was more than just a passing phase. _If she is the one, why is she listed as Angela Berman on my employee database? And why didn't my security people pick up on the anomaly? _

There were still doubts in his mind, perhaps there always would be following Helen, but after more than ten years, Lex was ready to risk it once again. He would wait here until his arm had been sutured, and he had heard any news of the Kent's, and then he would put his world in order. Lex smiled the first true smile in all his life, feeling finally at peace from the demons of the Luthor family name, and all it brought with it. And as his mind relaxed, he let his body surrender, and in a few minutes was gently dozing under the pale fluorescent lighting...   
  
  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

  
  
  
Clark's heart skipped a beat, as the nurse on the desk confirmed his worst fears. Chloe had been hurt back at the farm, and although they said it was nothing serious, the doctor still wanted to speak to him. _If she's okay, why have they kept her in? What isn't this nurse telling me?_ He followed obediently down a corridor, and as they reached a side room he saw Martha, Daryl, Karyn, and Lana waiting for him. 

"Oh Clark!" Martha couldn't help but grab her son, and almost squeeze the life out of him. It had been the first time in nearly two days that she had seen him conscious, and after everything she'd been through, she almost collapsed with joy at his return to health. 

He patted her on the back, but she refused to loosen her grip on him. "Everything will work out now Mom...I just need to speak to the doctor about Chloe..." 

"Clarkie!" Karyn joined in the group hug, before her big brother could say anything more. She wrapped her arms around his waist, fighting her mom for his attention, and love. 

Finally prying from Martha's and Karyn's grip, he glanced over to Lana, and she nodded to confirm she would keep an eye on his mom and sister awhile longer. "Dad should be along shortly..." He explained, "There wasn't enough room in the ambulance we came in..." He decided not to add Jonathan might be getting a ride in a patrol car, courtesy of a certain Trooper he'd irritated earlier. 

Without saying more, he quietly entered private room and gulped. Chloe lay on the bed, looking peacefully asleep, and beside her stood a doctor checking her chart. The physician smiled as he entered, giving him some kind of hope. _Surely she wouldn't look at me that way if it was bad news... _

"Mr. Kent I presume?" The doctor held out a hand, "I'm Dr Rusch." 

Clark shuffled to Chloe's side, and exhaled when he at least saw no visible injuries. "How is she?" He dared to ask, "I don't even know what happened..." 

Rusch smiled again, this time at the thought of her patient's tenacity. "Your wife took quite a tumble, and was pretty upset when they brought her in. She wouldn't do anything we told her until she knew you were safe...and of course the baby..." The doctor looked at Chloe, who slept on, blissfully unaware of their presence. "In the end I had to give her something to calm her down..." 

Clark didn't even hear the last part of the sentence. His mouth dropped open, but he found he struggled to say any words. "Baby?" He eventually mouthed. 

"You didn't know, I take it?" Rusch pulled out a chair for the shocked husband, knowing from his face, that his legs had just turned to jelly. " They're both doing fine." She said softly, "We just want to keep an eye on Chloe for the next few hours, just to be sure..." 

Clark nodded, but he still wasn't taking it all in. In the midst of everything Chloe had never had the chance to give him the news, and now he was finding out the hard way. _What if I'd lost them both?_ Almost shaking, he took Chloe's tiny hand and held it, not wanting to leave her ever again. 

"I'll be just outside..." Rusch offered, knowing the devoted husband would want more information, once he recovered from the surprise. "Don't worry; we'll take care of her." 

"Thank you...Thank you for everything..." Clark's voice quivered, as his anxiety turned to excitement, and then joy. "Is it alright to stay awhile?" 

The doctor nodded, tucking her hands in her pockets as she exited. "Take your time." 

Clark looked back to Chloe, so angelic and restful, and suddenly wanted to sit here all night. Everyone was safe now, and anything else could wait until morning, including any statements he might need to make. As the reality of what he had been told sank in, a warm fuzzy feeling crept over him, and he couldn't shake it. In fact, he didn't even want to try. Instead he beamed, and could think of only two things. _Chloe's safe... and I'm going to be a Dad!_   
  
  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

  
  
  
Crater Lake  
A Few Days Later...   
  
Chloe watched as the partially submerged car was dragged from the murky and mysterious lake. For a time, its wheels seemed to stick into the muddy bed, holding it fast as if the water didn't want to give up its dead. The idea alone made her shiver, and subconsciously she grabbed Clark's hand, as he too watched the spectacle. 

Supervising the vehicle's extraction was the new temporary sheriff, Paul Stillwater. He had called on the Kent's early in the morning, with the news that a car had been found abandoned here, and that they possibly knew its driver. At first the news hadn't been that alarming, and Chloe, ever the reporter had wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Now though, things had taken a darker turn, because Stillwater had found a note in the waterlogged car. It was brief, and to the point, but most of all it was saddening.   
  
  
_I have tried to put right, some of the wrongs I have committed in my lifetime, and perhaps those I have aggrieved will one day forgive me. What I cannot do however, is forgive myself. I abandoned my own son to his fate with a crime lord, and even now, because of me his life may be at risk. There is only one way to end this nightmare, and give him peace. If I am dead, Lucas has no hold on my child any longer, and maybe I can find solace in that one last thought. _

I pray that Michael, if that is the name my son still has, is alive, and that one day we will be reunited in a better place. 

To those I have wronged, I am truly sorry, but justice will be served... 

Helen Bryce

  
  
  
Sheriff Stillwater had let Clark view the note, out of courtesy as a fellow officer. And even through the evidence bag, its message had been a haunting one. Helen hadn't really been a bad person, she had merely been a statistic, and had now paid the price. 

"Do you think they'll find her body down there?" Chloe peered at the water, her face ashen and grim. 

Clark looked across the expanse that was Crater Lake, his eyes skimming the surface. "I don't think there's a diver in Smallville, or even Kansas that will want to go into that water. Not with all those meteor fragments still down there..." 

"So we'll never know for sure?" 

Clark shrugged. "Perhaps not, Helen could have faked this to make a clean break, or maybe Lucas' people wanted it to look like a suicide. They did chase after you from Metropolis..." 

Chloe knew he was right, but it didn't really matter how it had occurred. It was just another wasted death. "Did the Sheriff have any word on Lucas yet?" She looked hopefully for a moment, but Clark's negative expression told her there was no news. 

"No, and I doubt there will be, at least not for awhile. The police and F.B.I are assuming he was wearing a vest, because there was no blood trail, and yet Lex was adamant he hit him twice. Even so, he won't resurface till this mess has died down, hurt or not. Stillwater tells me they'll be cleaning illegal weapons and chemicals out of Plant three for the next two weeks...it was a big operation, and I'm thinking Lucas is not going to be flavor of the month with his crime buddies for getting caught..." _So far they haven't found any trace of the key from my ship either, but I can't tell Chloe that...Maybe Lucas still has it?_

"Have you heard from Lex? I mean I know how bad he felt, especially when he thought he'd killed his own brother." Chloe squeezed Clark's hand and smiled, appreciating how much Lex meant to him. 

"I don't know if he's relieved or angry, but I do know Angela will help him get through it now that she's recovering. Lucas getting away has weighed heavily on him, but he'll be okay now he has a good woman...Just like me." Clark turned to face his wife, taking her other hand in his. "There's something I have to tell you Chloe..." 

She put a finger to his lips, stopping him before he could go on. "I have something I need to tell you first...I waited a few days after my fall...until I was sure everything was alright..." 

Clark beamed, knowing what she was about to tell him, but he had yet another surprise to come. "I know Chloe, but first my question..." He tormented for just a second, and then gazed deep into her eyes. "Do you want to know if it's a boy, or a girl?" 

Chloe's brow furrowed, and her eyes shrank to points. "Who blabbed?" She queried, her voice rising before ultimately realizing something. "How do you know if it's a boy or girl? Even I don't..." 

The euphoric cop cocked his head towards the lake. "The same way I can tell you there's no body in that water...at least not as far as the eye can see..." He winked, and then amended his last statement, "Well at least as far as my eyes can see! Of course it doesn't mean Bryce isn't dead but..." 

"You mean you have your x-ray vision back? What about everything else? Oh my God...you saw what sex the baby is!" Suddenly feeling too excited to even think, Chloe punched her once again invincible husband, and found herself lost for words. 

Clark beamed. "The doctor at the hospital told me about the baby, and then when I realized I had my gifts back, I couldn't resist taking a peek. Don't you want to know too?" 

Chloe swatted him again, and then tugged his huge frame down to her height. "Don't you dare blab!" She whispered in his ear, and then kissed him, before he could tell anymore secrets. Clark didn't argue, he simply surrendered to his wife's wishes, perhaps a little too easily...As he finally pulled away he grinned. _Losing my gifts and then slowly getting them back did have some advantages after all..._   
  
  


Epilogue

  
  
  
Several Months Later...   
  
The snow flurries seemed to eddy around the car, reminding Kent of some fictitious starship entering warp speed. He smiled at the thought. _Did my pod look like that as it sped through the heavens, hurtling past stars in a blur?_

Chloe noticed the slight unconscious grin appear on his face, and decided to question it. "Care to let me in on the fun?" She teased him, and then turned up the car's climate control a notch, as the sheer sight of the outside weather made her shiver. 

"The snow kind of reminded me of something..." Clark watched his wife turn up the heat, and took his eyes from the road for a second to glance at her, concerned. "I knew driving to Smallville in these conditions was a bad idea. What if the baby..." 

Chloe cut him off. "Clark, we're driving to your parents on Christmas eve, not trekking to the North Pole! Will you lighten up?" She shot him her best 'stop fussing' look, and then with a smile turned on the radio. "Besides, I can't think of anyone I'd rather be stuck in a whiteout with..." She winked, and Kent knew he had already lost the fight. 

Resigned to the fact that he may be super, but would never outsmart Chloe, Clark flicked the wipers to maximum, and focused on the vanishing road ahead. The weather report had given out warnings, but so far this was far more severe than they had anticipated. Right now, Clark was glad he had snow chains fitted to his Ford, and just hoped they were up to the task. Out on the highway it was easy going, but once they hit Smallville's back roads, it would be simple to get stuck. 

Clark smiled again. _I guess it's a good thing I can lift this thing out of any drifts or ruts..._He sighed, and risked one last fleeting look at Chloe. She was everything to him now. _I love you so much Chloe..._And soon, they would have the seemingly impossible, to add even more joy and love to their existence. Clark's smile grew to an ear-to-ear grin. _I can't wait for this baby...I wonder which one of us will get to hold the little tyke first!_

Chloe watched her husband, and knew without asking, just where his mind was wandering. It wasn't difficult, when all she doted on was the same thing. "How long do you think it will take to get there now?" She finally asked, bored of the incessant droning of winter tires on snow. 

"It won't be long," Clark reassured, "And we can snuggle up in front of the fire then, and choose some names!" He smirked, and ducked a little, waiting for the swat he knew would come. 

He wasn't wrong. Chloe cuffed him summarily around the ear with her woolly glove. "Don't you dare blab Clark Kent! I told you before, just because you cheated and know what sex the baby is, doesn't mean you have to spoil it for me!" She settled back in her seat eyeing him suspiciously, "You didn't tell your parents did you?" 

Clark flicked on the turn indicator, signalling to pull off the highway towards Smallville, but didn't reply. It was much more fun to tease his wife all the way to the Kent farm...   
  
  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

  
  
  
Somewhere Near The Kansas Border...    
  
The roads hadn't even been icy when the Lincoln had set out. It was supposed to have been a day's drive, maybe a little more into Smallville, but then the weather had drastically changed. The back roads the car now travelled on were perilous to the extreme, but the danger was a necessary risk, if the driver intended to make it to the Kent's without intervention. 

There were people, and dark underworld sources who might still want this inconspicuous vehicle destroyed, if they knew who its sole occupant was. 

The driver continued unabashed. The storm had hit this part of Kansas first, and the car was heading into more bad weather, instead of away, but it didn't matter. _If I can still reach Kent, then maybe I can settle the score and finish this mess, like I should have all those months ago..._

It was a dangerous thought, and one that almost got the huge, overbearing car tipped on its roof. Up ahead the road turned sharply, but the warning sign had been covered by a thick blanket of snow and ice. The driver reacted at the last moment, finally seeing the peril, and tugging the steering wheel too fast in a risky evasive maneuver. The car slithered over the glassy road surface, and in a strange way it was reminiscent of ice skating over Crater Lake. 

The car slid helplessly into a nearby drift, but the driver refused to give in on the mission, cranking the engine till it restarted, and then rocking the vehicle until it was free. Nothing could get between this person and Kent tonight, not even mother-nature herself, because there was one last, old debt to pay...   
  
  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

  
  
  
The Kent Farm.   
  
Clark tapped lightly on the car brakes, bringing it to a halt as near to the farmhouse as possible. The wintry weather was freakish even for Smallville, and he didn't want his wife out in it a moment too long. With a quick dash, he zipped around to the passenger side so fast that he was almost dodging the between the snowflakes. 

"I could carry you...?" He offered, tugging the door open. 

Chloe scowled. "Clark, I can walk!" She knew he meant well, but over the last few weeks, he had become frustratingly overprotective. _Maybe he's still worried about the fall I took..._She shrugged it off and ventured out into the white freezing haze. _Mmn, maybe I should have let him superspeed me after all..._

At the front porch, Martha and Jonathan were there to greet them, hastening the couple into the cosy interior, and out of the deluge of sleet and snow. 

Clark stomped mushy snow from his boots, and smiled at his parents. "It's nice to be home for Christmas." 

"Clarkie and Chloe are here!" A small giggle, followed by feet pounding down the stairs, signalled Karyn's arrival, but she wasn't alone. 

The shy, and yet reassuring presence of Daryl surprised even Clark. "Hey Buddy; I didn't know you were joining us?" Clark hugged Karyn, and threw a small mock punch at Daryl, who simply gave a look of gratitude back. 

"We have a little surprise for you Son," Jonathan looked to Martha and then took her hand, as he told his eldest child, "Daryl is going to be staying with us...Pete and Lex managed to pull a few strings between them. And well he kind of fits in with this family..." Jonathan winked at Daryl, who took the little light hearted quip with a smile, and then looked up to Clark for a reaction. 

Clark beamed and ruffled the kid's hair. "We can shoot some hoops in the summer, but I warn you...Karyn cheats!" 

Daryl grimaced and looked to Karyn with a sigh. "I know, I found out the hard way..." 

Everyone had to laugh at the oh-so serious face he pulled, and then they ventured into the living room, while Martha popped into the kitchen to fix them all some supper. The tree sat in the corner, where Clark had opened his gifts every year since his unearthly arrival. It beckoned to him, its lights glistening and filling the room with seasonal cheer. Beneath it lay a multitude of presents, each one neatly wrapped by Martha. 

"Oh boy..." Clark put a hand to his mouth, realizing they had sent Daryl's gift to Lana, thinking he would be with her. "We have no gift for Daryl in the trunk..." He whispered to his dad. 

Jonathan smiled knowingly. "Your mom and I kind of guessed that, so we put something under the tree from you two..." 

Chloe smiled appreciatively then took a seat, feeling a little tired. "So, what is Lana up to? I mean if you guys have Daryl, isn't she coming over?" 

"She's spending some time with Paul Stillwater I believe..." Jonathan waited for Chloe's shocked reaction, but none came. Instead the intrepid reporter glanced to her husband and smirked. 

"I told you those two would get it together! I could see it a mile off!" _I mean it didn't take me long to find out she's been dating Smallville's newest sheriff, I just hope this time she finally got a good guy..._

Clark grinned sheepishly. Chloe was just too good at knowing stuff sometimes. "I don't know who to ask for a prediction first, Daryl, or mystic Chlo and her crystal ball!" 

The cute description got him another cuff with Chloe's gloves, and then she pulled him close for a quick kiss, before asking her next request. "While your mom gets supper ready, do you think Karyn would mind if we went out to your old loft and well, just kind of reminisced? I often think about our teenage years and how that place played a big part somehow..." 

"Chloe, it's freezing out there! You should stay here, in front of the fire where it's warm..." He pulled away slightly, but knew the battle wasn't over. 

"Clark please..." She carefully entwined her fingers around his collar, pulling him down for a more lingering kiss, "It is Christmas...and all I want for Christmas...is you..." 

A chuckle from behind, made Clark blush like the day Chloe had kissed him in front of Kyle Tippet, and he hastily stood back up. From the far corner, Karyn had been watching the two lovebirds, and had found her brother's attitude extremely amusing. "You just have to take her to my loft Clarkie, it's so romantic!" 

He waved a hand up in defeat, knowing the girls were ganging up on him. "Okay, okay, but I insist I speed you over there, and I want a blanket for you too, it's too cold..." 

Chloe grinned, an impish sparkle gleaming in her eyes. "CLARK! Will you stop fussing!" 

  
Clark carried Chloe across to the barn faster than the snow could fall, and as they arrived at the bottom of the old wooden staircase, he paused just to check her expression. She was grinning again, this time at her very special husband's abilities. 

"I hate stairs..." He teased, defying gravity, and letting his body float gently up to the loft. At the top, he landed softly, and set Chloe down on the couch that had once been his, wrapping her in the blanket Martha had supplied with a hug. "I still don't know why you wanted to come out here though..." 

Chloe looked around. The old barn hadn't changed much even though this part belonged to Karyn now. There was still the shelves lined with books, the hammock strung from the ceiling, and by the closed shutter stood Clark's telescope. "Memories..." She finally answered. "I just felt like being alone with you here, I have no clue why. Maybe I wanted one last glimpse of the past before I become a mom..." 

Clark smiled, knowing suddenly just what she meant. Time had passed them by in a blur, and they had gone from teens to would be parents faster than he could run...at least it felt that way. "I just wish the weather was more suitable..." 

"Me too," Chloe nodded towards the shutter. "You could have showed me the stars, and we could have guessed which part of the universe you came from Superdad!" 

Clark cringed. "Chloe, do you have to tease quite so much?" He knew she did, and had accepted the fact long ago. "Want a snack? I'm sure I can go steal away some of the food mom was getting ready..." 

"Oh, you read my mind! You can come snuggle up on here with me then," She patted the couch, "And we can munch away while we cuddle..." 

"I'll just be a second!" Clark said, meaning it literally, and then vanished into the night. 

"I've heard that before..." Chloe couldn't help one last poke of fun at her husband, knowing he could still hear her across the yard. "You never keep appointments!"   
  
Clark zipped into the kitchen, just as him mom was putting out some homemade cookies. He grinned at her huge creations, and was about to appropriate some when she slapped his hand. "Clark! Those were for later." 

"C'mon Mom, Chloe wants to nibble on something, and I can't think of anything better than your cooking..." He gazed longingly at the plate, but Martha still appeared reluctant. 

"They just came out, they really need to cool some more. And besides, if you eat those now you won't want your real supper!" She eyed her son, and then conceded just a little. "Just let them cool a moment. I don't want to give Chloe indigestion..." 

Clark agreed, trotting into the living room to catch his dad watching the TV. It was the local news report, and mostly it centered on the atrocious weather that had found its way to their State. 

Jonathan turned as he heard his son approach. "This is some storm. It's already taken out the phone lines, and the forecast says it's going to get worse through the night! They say it's even harsher than the snow and ice storm we had back in January 2002..." 

Clark recalled that storm too. Over three days it had taken down trees and power lines, causing major chaos across portions of both Kansas, and Missouri. It hadn't been pretty. "I sure hope Lex is okay, he's supposed to be taking Dr Berman on vacation tonight. I can't imagine them flying in something like this though..." 

Jonathan agreed. "If he hasn't already set out, I would think they will cancel the trip Son, at least until this weather abates." 

Clark stared out of the window, at the snowstorm raging like some white tempest as far as the horizon. _I pray you're right Dad, because other than me, I doubt anything could stand flying in that kind of squall..._   
  
  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

  
  
  
Lex sat back in the plush Learjet seat and smiled at his fiancé. Dr Berman had taken a long time to recover from the injuries Lucas had caused, but she was here now, and Lex was elated. They had just managed to get the last flight clearance, before the runway outside Smallville had been closed, apparently due to the bad weather. And now, as they relaxed, any kind of storm was the last thing on their minds. 

Lex smiled, wanting to ask the doctor a question that had puzzled him for many months, but he still didn't know how to phrase it without sounding intrusive._ I can't marry a woman who has a secret. What if it turns out like Hel..._Lex shook the thought from his head. He was finding this flight difficult after past events, but in ten years he had to let go of Bryce and get a grip. _So, just ask her why her records all say Angela Berman, and yet the hospital had her down as Jacqui...But then if she is like Helen, she'll have a suitable lie prepared..._

"Something wrong Lex? You look a little nervous, and that's not like you." Berman seemed to sense his sudden unease, and leaned across the table. "Have some champagne and relax..." She poured two sparkling drinks, not realizing what memory it invoked. 

Lex stared at the beverage, as a myriad of bubbles fizzed up in the glasses. "Angela, I have something to ask you..." His heart began to race, "Why do you go by the name Jacqui sometimes?" He waited for a reply, but instead of receiving one, the small private jet started to shake. 

Berman saw a sudden terror in her partner's expression, and he turned white as a ghost, as a second vibration ran through the fuselage. "It's just turbulence Lex..." She smiled, cocking her head. "Are you sure you don't want a drink?" 

Lex gulped. _Am I paranoid, or hasn't she actually had a drink of her own yet?_ "No Thanks..." He pushed the glass back in Berman's direction, trying to tell himself not to panic, but then abruptly the cabin lights dimmed, and finally extinguished altogether. When the emergency lights kicked in, Lex found he was alone. _It's happening again. I can't outrun my fate..._

Looking from the window, the millionaire saw what looked like icicles forming on the wingtips. Perhaps it was some kind of storm, just like when Helen had been there. The Learjet rocked more, its frame seemingly bouncing on pockets of invisible air, until Lex was forced to grab onto the seating to keep his balance. An interior door at the back of the plane slammed, bringing more bad recollections. _Maybe she's getting a parachute..._

Determined not to ever crash again, Lex pushed his body to head towards the front, but even now the jet appeared to be veering at an odd angle. Another patch of turbulence almost knocked him to the cabin floor, and then he was at last at the cockpit. His hand shook as he reached to tug the door open, and he blinked, closing his eyes in case the pilot seat truly was as empty as ten years before...   
  
  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

  
  
  
Chloe peered around the loft, wondering where her husband had got to. She rolled her eyes, deciding to take a peek about till he returned. "Jeez, I thought you were going to get a snack Clark...Oh hum, don't tell me, Santa needed a hand delivering the world's presents huh?" She mumbled excuses to herself, gazing at some of Karyn's prize possessions and becoming swiftly intrigued. 

On the wooden desk that Clark had once used to study, Karyn had photos and reports all laid out neatlyready to paste in a folder. Most were of what Chloe still called 'wall of weird' material, and the reporter was deeply impressed by how they had been put together. _Hey, who would have thought it, but it looks like we might have a Kent becoming a journalist!_

Forgetting her husband for a minute, Chloe leaned over, intent on studying Karyn's latest findings, but tonight destiny had other things in store. Without warning, she felt a rush of water flow down her legs and soak her jeans, followed by an overwhelming pain shooting through her abdomen. She doubled over, and grabbed onto the desktop to keep from falling, trying to keep her balance at the same time. The pain only lasted for a few seconds, although, it seemed like an eternity to Chloe. Once it subsided, Chloe realized that her water had just broken, and the baby was coming a little early, like it or not. She started to make her way over to the old couch, but then the pain abruptly came again. "CLARK!" 

An anguished cry was all it took to cause her startled husband to come hurtling in from the Kent kitchen. Clark had been talking to his mom one second, and across the yard, and up the staircase in the next. Sometimes his hearing truly was a blessing. 

"Chloe?" With one glance at his distressed wife, Clark guessed what was happening, and tenderly scooped her into his arms. Should I carry her across to the house, or would it be too much with the weather and the baby coming? Panic overwhelmed him, as he remembered the news broadcast, and that the roads were already blocked with snow. No ambulance would be able to get through to them tonight. _I can't fly her to the hospital either, not in these blizzards...I wouldn't have a problem, but Chlo surely would..._Making a swift choice, he laid her down on the couch she had been heading for. 

"Clark the baby's coming...it's too early, there's something wrong...I know it..." Chloe gasped out the broken sentences, obviously in more pain, and mental anguish than she cared to admit. 

"It's okay Chloe; it's always like this trust me. Everything will be fine. I'll go get Mom." He smiled, taking her hand for a moment to reassure her, but when he tried to pull away Chloe hung on for dear life. She knew the first time was supposed to be scary, but somehow she sensed there was something else. Her fingernails dug into his impenetrable flesh, and even though he felt nothing, Clark wished he could take the agony for her. 

"No! Don't leave me..." Chloe panted out the words, having no intention of relinquishing her iron, leech-like grip on his arm. "Clark, please...I know there's something wrong. I can't have the baby here, not now..." 

_I can't just sit here, I need to convince Chloe everything is alright, and then go get Mom. Maybe if I take a peek and can tell her the kid is doing fine, she'll let me go..._

Focusing his x-ray vision at just the right intensity, Clark sneaked a quick look at their unborn child. It was the first time since Crater Lake that he had stolen a glance, and it was both frightening, and awe inspiring. The little baby looked so different now, so adorable, even before its birth. And yet as Clark saw more, he became increasingly alarmed, realizing that intuitively Chloe had somehow been right. 

The expression on his face, and the direction of his gaze, told Chloe just what he was seeing, and she squeezed down on his skin even harder. "What's wrong? Oh God it's the baby isn't it...I knew..." 

Clark gulped, almost starting to shake. _How do I balance the truth, and still not terrify her?_ "It'll be alright Chloe, but please try not to push till I get Mom, just in case..." Again he tried to tug free, but she held him fast, her terrified eyes pleading for an answer to what he had perceived was wrong. In the end he had little choice but to tell her. "The baby's not exactly in the greatest position to come out..." 

Chloe's already pale features drained totally of all color, and her pounding heart almost skipped a beat. "Not breech...can't be..." 

"Clarkie?" Another voice permeated the suddenly traumatic night. "Mom was kind of worried when you zipped off. Is everything alright?" Karyn's head popped into view, and her jaw dropped as she abruptly understood what was going on. "Am I gonna be an Auntie now?" She queried, innocently, "Only isn't it a little early?" 

Clark inhaled, all kinds of harrowing ideas milling in his head. _What if, what if...?_ "Karyn, I need you to get Mom, as fast as you can..." He begged urgently, and then looked back down into Chloe's eyes, hoping to offer some kind of comfort. "Not breech Chlo, honest..." 

She didn't hear his words, and couldn't see his expression. Because she had screwed her eyes closed, both from the pain, and her innermost fear. _It must have been the fall, even after all this time, and now I'm going to lose the baby. After I've been through so much...I can't have a breech baby, not in a barn...there's no chance... _

"I can't get Mom, she's arguing with the visitor..." Karyn's head cocked to one side, and she obviously didn't grasp the seriousness of the situation. 

"Clark...please don't let the baby die..." Chloe's unexpected, and gut-wrenching whimper cut every nerve in her husband's body to the core, but still his sister didn't comprehend what was going on. She simply watched, not understanding. 

Agonized, Clark felt like yelling at Karyn, and telling her to get back to the house and call for help. But he bit his tongue, recognizing his emotions were out of whack. Then in the middle of the nightmare, something else hit him. _What visitor? Who on earth comes out on a hellish night like this, and to our farm?_ He kicked back into x-ray mode in a flash, allowing his eyes to penetrate the barn walls, and deluge of snow. _I know one thing...No sane person comes out in weather like this..._   
  
  


To Be Continued

  
  
  



	14. Memento Mori 2:Requiem Part 14

  
  
  
Last bit folks! It's been a pleasure to write this, and a pleasure to read your comments! Thank you, one and all.   
  
  
  
"Karyn," Clark tried to keep his words steady, "Who is at the house? What visitor?" 

Karyn shrugged, glancing at Chloe as she finally realized something was gravely wrong. "The lady who was here before, when you were sick..." 

This time it was Clark's heart that skipped a beat. "Doctor Bryce?" _I always thought she was alive, but why here, now? It's too much of a coincidence...too good to be true..._

"I think that was her name. She was the one who made you better..." Karyn frowned. She had seen lots of animals on the farm have their babies, but suddenly she was getting scared for Chloe, because Clarkie was all worked up, and that never happened. "Should I still go and try to get Mom?" 

Clark's mind reeled. Chloe and the baby needed help, but could he trust a woman who had once almost killed him? _She saved me in the end though, and she did have her reasons...What would I give now to know my own kid would be born safely?_ He grimaced, because in the end, this was not just his decision to make. 

Even through her torture, Chloe had somehow followed the bizarre conversation. "Please...she saved you...the baby..." Her words trailed, signaling she was already getting tired, and she looked to Clark beseechingly. 

He clutched her hand in return, and then almost shouted to Karyn. "Get Mom, and the doctor if she'll come..!" 

Karyn disappeared as if she had her brother's speed, but as she crossed the yard she was afraid too, because when she had left, Martha and Bryce had been quarreling. _What if she won't help?_ She scooted into the kitchen to find her dad had joined in the fray. It wasn't so much an argument, as a heated discussion, but Karyn hated butting in all the same. 

"Why come here on Christmas eve? There were plenty of police stations, and sheriffs' offices on the way when the weather turned..." Jonathan quizzed. 

Bryce looked apologetic, but determined. She was still obviously shaken and disheveled from the crash into the fence, and a tiny cut to her forehead was dribbling blood, without her even noticing. "I planned on being here earlier, but the storm closed in so unexpectedly...I wanted to explain things to Clark before I gave myself up..." 

Karyn looked at the doctor worriedly. She appeared so drawn and tired from her own ordeal of getting here. Unsure if she was doing the right thing, Karyn finally tugged on Martha's sleeve. "Mom, Clark says for you to come quick...and the doctor too, if she'll help..." 

Instantly Martha's stomach churned with dread. _Karyn never calls him Clark unless something is wrong, it's always Clarkie, and why does he need Bryce for heaven's sake... _

The quarrel abruptly ceased, and Bryce glanced at the family expectantly. Whatever Clark wanted, she could easily refuse, but she wouldn't. She leaned towards Karyn, her injured head throbbing with the movement. "What's wrong?" She asked softly. 

Karyn gazed at her parents for approval, and then back to Helen. "Chloe's having the baby, but there's something wrong..." Suddenly everyone looked to Bryce, and she readily accepted the challenge, heading automatically for the Kent's stairs. "They're in the barn..." Karyn corrected, with a tiny sparkle in her eye. 

If Bryce had wondered why the barn, she didn't show it. Instead she looked to Martha, and then rubbed her temple. "Right, well we'll need blankets, towels, water...Can you get those things?" She turned to Jonathan next, "There's a first aid kit in my trunk, I might want some things out of that too..." 

The anxious farmer nodded that he would retrieve it, and both he and Bryce headed back out into the blustery snow...   
  
Clark looked up as Helen finally made it to the loft. It had seemed like she would never arrive, and at one point, he had begun to question the validity of his sister's story. Now, as the weary doctor approached, he began to worry further. A long time had passed since their last meeting, but tonight Bryce looked far from the woman she had once been. Perhaps it was her fatigued appearance, and the sight of blood on her head; Clark wasn't really sure, all he knew was that he was scared. 

Helen ignored his panicked gaze, and went straight to Chloe's side. It was then that Clark at last decided to speak. "I told her not to push...the baby isn't where it should be..." Bryce nodded she understood, but pinched the top of her nose, as dizziness overtook her for a second. Clark noticed her pause. "Are you sure you are capable..." 

Pushing aside her own problems, the doctor deftly tugged Clark away from his wife, and resumed the no nonsense attitude she was famed for. "Listen, I know you don't trust me, and you have every right not too, but don't undermine me in front of Chloe. She needs your help and support right now, and she needs my help too." Bryce looked deep into Kent's soul, searching to see he understood, and then tersely continued. "I need you to get a grip, and tell me just what you saw. You're eyes are better than any scan or monitor at a hospital, so use them to help me! Now what did you notice to get so alarmed?" She didn't want to be insensitive, but Clark needed to snap out of it and fast. 

"The head and shoulders aren't in the right position...the baby's stuck..." 

"Alright..." She turned back to Chloe, who had once again latched onto Clark, "I need you to guide me Clark, tell me everything that's going on..." 

Chloe peered pleadingly at Helen, Sweat dripping from her brow already. "Please say not breech..." She was scared. Scared to lose a child, and scared perhaps, of who was going to try and deliver it. 

Bryce smiled gently, knowing all too well what Chloe must be going through. "No, not breech. It sounds like the baby has entered the birth canal at an odd angle, and I'm going to have to turn it back before the little tyke can come out...I'm not going to delude you, we have no painkillers, so this is going to hurt like hell, but everything's going to be fine...I promise..." The doctor looked back to Clark, "I need you to steer me in the right direction. It will be quicker that way..." 

Clark inhaled, and held Chloe's hand in both of his, while he let x-ray mode switch back in. "Just breath Chlo, like we practiced..." 

Guiding Helen was the weirdest and most frightening thing he had ever been asked to do, but if it saved the life of his unborn kid, then it would be worth it. _I just hope Bryce is capable. I don't know who looks more likely to pass out, Chloe, or Helen from her head wound..._Shaking away the terrifying dilemma, he focused back to the task at hand. 

He felt Chloe's body spasm with pain at every move Bryce made, as she tried to correct the position of their child, and wished that he could somehow end her agony. After almost ten anxious minutes, the doctor nodded to Clark. "I think that's it..." She turned to Chloe, "You should be able to push now..." 

Chloe didn't know if she even had the strength left, she felt so drained and exhausted, but then Clark renewed the urgency, with yet another revelation from his super-sight. "The baby's heartbeat is slowing!" 

Helen fought the urge to scold the father-to-be again, but then realized just how bad he must be feeling, and that her own injury might be clouding her judgment of him. "It's not uncommon after something like this. We need Chloe to do her bit now, and everything should be fine..." _Just as long as it doesn't take too much time, and the heart rate doesn't drop too low... _

Chloe grimaced, crazy thoughts whipping through her tortured mind, as finally she tried to bring her child into the world. _This is one time a Kent can't afford to be late..._   
  
  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

  
  
  
Lex yanked open the door, just as another wave of instability hit the Learjet. His body rocked for a second, but he caught his balance, and then exhaled, as he saw Jerry the regular pilot at the controls. _Berman isn't deceiving me...something else is wrong though..._

As Lex entered the cabin, Jerry turned to glance at him. "I'm sorry Mr. Luthor, but we flew straight into one almighty weather front. It came from nowhere..." He swiveled back to the instruments, desperately holding the yoke so tight his knuckles were white. "I tried to veer to port and duck below the storm Sir, but it's no good. I'm turning back to Smallville..." 

Lex heard the urgency in his pilot's voice, but didn't comment on it. He had a flying license of his own, and already knew the seriousness of the situation, perhaps even more so than Jerry. "Is the anti-ice system functioning correctly? I saw ice on the wings back there..." 

The pilot frowned, and then shook his head. "The warning light came on about fifteen minutes ago..." He looked apologetically at his superior. "To be honest Sir, I'm struggling to keep us on course even..." 

Lex didn't need telling twice. Swiftly, he jumped behind the empty co-pilot's seat, and began checking the visual readouts. Several sections of the electrical systems had malfunctioned, but only the anti-ice system had failed to divert to backup. It didn't look good. 

Another huge jolt buffeted the airframe, followed by more red lights and an alarm claxon sounding. As the millionaire checked his display, the plane began to peel to port all on its own, and he and Jerry struggled to correct the yaw. Their seats shook beneath them, but somehow they managed to level off without further deviation from their route. 

"We just lost number one engine to a flameout..." The pilot winced, knowing that usually the second turbine would follow suit, sooner or later. 

"Can we try a restart?" Lex looked grim too, but he wasn't giving in just yet. 

Jerry shook his head again. "There's too much ice ingestion, the ice is flaking off the wings straight into the engines...If we lose number two as well, we'll have to glide her in, and in this weather..." 

Lex knew the scenario well. The build up of ice on a plane could easily cause it to flip over, or veer badly, especially when trying to land. One option was to add extra power as you came down to help compensate, but if they had no engines, well he didn't want to think about that choice. "I have no intention of trying to take this bird in dead stick Jerry, so what say we get her down before we lose the engine?" 

Jerry checked the altimeter, and direction readings, quickly working things in his head. "I think we're about fifteen minutes from the runway Sir, but when I radioed it still hadn't been cleared. It's only a small airstrip after all, but there's nowhere closer..." 

Lex bit into his lip, and then heard the cockpit door slam as Berman finally resurfaced. She looked terrified, and totally unsure of just what was happening. "What the hell is going on? You looked worse than a seasick mermaid back there, I went to find something to make you feel a lil better, and the next moment I'm flung halfway down the back of the plane!" She gazed at the jet's screen, noting the outrageous squall outside. "Holy...This is the last time I get on a plane with you Lex Luthor, you're jinxed!" Berman tried to make light of their predicament, not fully understanding how bad things had gotten so quickly. 

The plane shook again, and Lex feared the other engine would give out before they reached safe harbor. "Listen, we've lost some of the instruments...and one of the engines. I know you probably think this is a crazy time to ask, but if I'm to die tonight, there's something I want to know first?" 

The doctor suddenly grew more solemn, buckling herself into a spare seat behind Jerry, and then frowning. "We're not going to die Lex...have faith. It's Christmas Eve, God isn't that cruel." His expression told her he had long since given up on faith. "What do you want to know?" She finally asked. 

"I've always known you as Angela Berman, and yet when you were in Smallville Medical Center, they said you were Jacqueline on there records...Why?" 

Berman shrugged, it was such a simple, innocent answer, that she couldn't understand the significance. "My father died before I was born, and I was left with just my overbearing mother to rule my life. I think deep down she hated me, because as I grew up I wanted a career, and she just wanted to marry me off to some rich boy and have kids. Basically, she treated me like I was some piece of meat to be sold to the highest bidder. Naturally I rebelled, and when I went to med school I even changed my name. You see Jacqueline was mother's idea, it was her middle name, and it made me think of her all too often..." 

Lex fought with the yoke, and let what he had been told sink in. All of what she had explained to him could have been a fabricated lie, but somehow he knew it wasn't. The doctor had fought the same family curse as he had. A parent who didn't want a child, but rather a subject, to control and manipulate at will. In a way it made Berman the perfect soul mate and wife. He smiled wryly at the word wife, and then realized they had to live first, marry later. 

"We're going to lose number two engine!" Jerry couldn't hide his fear as the turbine began to falter. 

Lex ignored the warning, and taking the throttles increased power, hoping to at least give them the extra speed they might need before the second flameout. From the corner of his eye, he saw Berman lower her head and begin to pray. He had never considered himself a religious man, but tonight her actions somehow comforted him. _I think Daryl was right...she really is the one..._

"You really are going to try taking her in dead stick!" Jerry was incredulous at his apparently insane boss's actions, but then what alternative was there? 

Lex smirked. "When I was younger, I used to think I had a guardian angel Jerry...Well I can tell you this much, I know he isn't here tonight. So what say you and I try a restart, and if that doesn't work, then yes, we're going to land this baby dead stick..." 

The pilot nodded, unsure whether it was better to be in the hands of a madman, or a cynic...   
  
  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

  
  
  
"Nearly there Chloe, come on one more push..." Helen Bryce gave out her instructions clear and precise, somehow making her patient think she dare not disobey. It was a good strategy, and one that had worked very well over the last heart stopping minutes. "One more...the head is here..." 

Clark looked on mesmerized, and still totally petrified. The baby hadn't deteriorated any further, but he couldn't help the feelings running through him. He guessed it was only natural, and what every father, and indeed mother went through. _And most kids don't end up being born in a barn..._

Chloe pushed again, and this time Helen found she had a tiny baby in her hands. "Hey, you have a son!" Quickly the doctor made sure his mouth and nose were clear, and then under Clark's watchful gaze laid the little boy on Chloe. He gurgled, and then let out a touching cry that made his dad's knees want to buckle with relief, love, and parental pride. 

Chloe lay back slightly, exhausted, but wanting so much to hold her newborn too. _You better not get to hold him first Clark..._She beamed at her own amusing thought, all the pain abruptly being worth it. Then the baby cried again, and Chloe was reminded that no one could take a hold just yet. 

Bryce suddenly realized it too. They needed something to cut the cord, and she hadn't exactly come equipped to deliver a kid. Feeling a little woozy again, she grabbed onto a nearby beam, and then having an idea, looked to Clark. "Can you sever the cord?" 

He didn't comprehend what she was asking to begin with, and then once he did, fear hit him, and he backed off. "You want me to...? With my heat vision...?" Clark cringed and looked horrified, but then it was Chloe's turn to encourage him. 

"Clark Kent don't be such a wuss! Will you hurry up and just do it!" _I want to cuddle my kid!_

The baby cooed its approval, his gorgeous blue eyes twinkling in the dull light, as he wriggled helplessly on his mom's tummy. 

"Clark?" Bryce urged him on, "We need to get him clean and in a blanket..." 

Succumbing mostly to his desire to cradle the tot, Clark steadied his shaky nerves, and focused every bit of his willpower on doing the job correctly. In seconds the task was complete, and baby Kent was non-the-wiser. Feeling that after his nerve-wracking mission, he deserved the first cuddle, Clark scooped up a blanket and caringly wrapped his son in it. The baby cried a little, and then settled snuggly into his welcoming arms, as he gazed dreamily down upon it. 

"CLARK!" Chloe was worn-out, but she was not falling asleep till she got hold of her kid, "Let me see him!" 

Finally giving in, Clark ambled to her side and kneeled, allowing the newborn to slip gently into her arms. Chloe took him without saying a word, because words alone couldn't describe how she felt right now. 

She took her son's minuscule hand for a second, and then allowed him to instinctively clutch back when she moved away. He cried again, sensing his mother, and needing her delicate touch. "He looks like you!" Chloe finally admitted, "And his timekeeping isn't much better!" 

Clark grinned, and then lightly pulled the edge of the blanket away, wanting another peek at his baby. The little boy looked so small and rosy, and yet his eyes already danced with his father's veracity. "As long as he isn't as nosy as his mom..." He laughed. 

Chloe pulled a face, and then somehow found the energy to whack her husband with her free arm. "Oy!" She giggled, glancing at the wall clock. "You do realize what time it is?" 

Clark silently followed her gaze, as did Bryce. In their panic, they had never noticed the passage of time. Fatigued and hurting, Helen still answered first, because Clark had suddenly been struck dumb with surprise yet again. "It's Christmas day..!"   
  
  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

  
  
  
Clark sat in the family rocker, swaying back and forth, and cradling his baby with adoration. It was still early, but there was no way he could sleep now. Once the snow had abated he had sped Chloe over, and she was now sleeping comfortably upstairs. He had no doubt when she awakened, that she would demand their son back, and would not relinquish her hold a second time. He smiled at the thought. _We'll be fighting who gets diaper duty next..._He shuddered. _Okay, so maybe Chlo can have that honor..._

A groan from the couch made him pause his relentless rocking, and he looked over, concerned. "How do you feel?" 

Helen Bryce squinted, and then grimaced as daylight hit her eyes. "I was in the barn...I delivered the baby..." 

Clark nodded. "You took a bump to your head when you crashed into the fence. You passed out just after the baby was born, and I carried you back here..." Bryce sat up, knowing her head would pound, and it did. She rubbed the side of her temple, where an angry purple-yellow bruise had circled the cut she had received. "You should lie back down. You have a pretty nasty concussion..." 

Helen ignored the advice, and scowled. "I thought I was the doctor...?" 

"You told me to use my vision on Chloe, and it works just as well on you! I took a peek at your head when you collapsed. We were worried..." Clark looked to the tot in his arms for the hundredth time, and then back to his guest. "So, just why did you almost get yourself killed to come back here? You knew what the outcome would be?" 

"Yes, I knew I would be arrested, and I don't care. I deserve what's coming to me, but I wanted you, of all people to understand why I did what I did. I never wanted to hurt anyone; I just wanted my son..." Bryce looked to the floor, not daring to look upon the infant in Clarks' arms, because it brought back painful memories. "I faked my death at Crater Lake to go and search for him, and it took me a long time, but in the end I found Michael. I can rest in peace now. Do with me what you will..." 

Clark watched as the doctor before him gave into her future. _How can I arrest a woman who's life, and that of her son were threatened? I can't condone what she did, but I can't condemn it either. She almost died once when Hayden stabbed her, who would risk that again by defying a gang-lord? And if Lucas isn't dead and she goes to prison, he'll make sure she dies in there..._

The dilemma was an intense one, because the life of his own child had been saved by Bryce, but he wouldn't let that fact alone sway his decision. She had come here of her own volition, having no way to know Chloe would go into labor. Her choice to give herself up had been totally voluntary, and Clark respected that. _I doubt even a court of law would convict her on any serious charges, she was under duress..._ "What happened to Michael?" He eventually queried, wanting to know everything before making a judgment. 

"I found him in Arizona of all places...with a loving couple who put my parental skills to shame. He had never known anything about Metropolis, Edge, or the Luthors..." Bryce looked down again. "I couldn't bring myself to approach him and tell him who I was. It would have ruined his life..." 

Clark looked puzzled. "So how did he get there?" 

"From what I can tell Paul arranged it ...I guess he must have felt some remorse for what he did after all. Maybe I'll never know for sure. Not now that Paul is long dead..." Helen glanced at her watch. "I don't think it's too early to call the sheriff now to take me in. You should have your Christmas in peace, especially with the little one." 

Clark inhaled, and then looked down into his son's sleeping face. "I'm not going to make that call. The Helen Bryce I knew died at Crater Lake. Just make sure it stays that way, or I will find you..." He smiled as the doctor looked at him incredulously. "I think you deserve a second chance..." 

"But...?" 

"No buts! You can't go anywhere today, you've bust your car's radiator, not to mention your head. Mom's made you a room up until the snow clears, and you're feeling better. Just go then and make a new life, and stay out of trouble!" 

Bryce was clearly moved. She hadn't wanted special treatment, but then she hadn't counted on Clark's idea of justice. In a world of mayhem, he was probably the only person who would still not resort to violence, even if the end justified the means. He would always find an alternative, a way to make a situation better, not worse. "You're truly a remarkable person..." 

Clark shook his head, and then winked. "No, today I'm just a very proud dad! Thanks to you." 

Helen stood up silently, about to take a glimpse of the snoozing tot, when someone rapped on the kitchen door. Clark whirled instinctively. "We aren't expecting anyone..." 

Quietly the pair waited, as Martha wiped her hands on her apron and met their unexpected guests. Helen's head began to pound again, as she heard the greeting. 

"Lex! We weren't expecting you! Come on in." Martha ushered the millionaire and his partner in from the cold. 

"I can't face Lex, not now or ever..." Bryce pleaded, "I'd rather go to jail..." _I ruined his life once. I can't do it again by letting him know I'm alive..._

Clark understood and sympathized, not wanting Lex to have to go through old, and very bad memories. Hastily he directed Helen upstairs, and she nodded. "I want to check on Chloe anyway..." 

Once the doctor was safely hidden, Clark reappeared to welcome his long-time friend. "Lex, you made it just in time to meet my son! Although you missed all the excitement last night..." 

Lex smiled, and then glanced at Berman, squeezing her hand knowingly. "Well we had a little adventure of our own to deal with, but when I heard about baby Kent nothing was going to stop me getting here...not even a very risky landing." 

"Or even colossal snow drifts!" Berman laughed, "You don't know how many people he bribed to get this section of road cleared so fast..." 

Clark could imagine, but he didn't ask. Instead, he handed his newborn over into Lex's outstretched arms, letting his friend feel the joy a child could bring. "So how exactly did you find out?" He watched Lex like some hawk watching its prey, but surprisingly the Senator knew just how handle the tot. 

"Well Pete was trying to contact me...I'd just landed when I got the message..." Lex smirked, and then found the little one had dribbled up milk all over his expensive shirt. It was only a small mark, but he had to smile. _Money can't buy everything, how many shirts would I give for a kid like this?_ His eyes narrowed mischievously. _I'd give everything I own..._

Martha swatted Clark with a towel, and then looked to her guests. "Actually, I think half of Kansas knows by now. After everyone had calmed down, Clark rang everyone he could think of till Chloe's cell phone battery died!" 

"It's on charge now," Clark admitted, taking his son back from Lex, "But to be honest I think I killed it!" 

"I probably would have done the same, or worse." Lex conceded with another impish grin. "Now, let me introduce you to Angela..." 

Clark nodded, knowing Dr Berman by name, but never having actually met her before. It was strange really, seeing as Lex had been dating her for several months now. "I've heard a lot about you." 

"Ah, but there's something you don't know..." Lex took on an air of mystery, which made everyone in the kitchen pause. "Remember when I said I would find someone to help you have kids, and you need never meet them? Well Angela is the one...She's the best geneticist I know..." 

Clark gulped. It was really weird how things were turning out, scary even. _My kid's born in a barn, and then gets three very special visitors...Oh Boy! Lex who convinced me to try for a baby against all odds, Berman who made it all work, and Helen who saved him..._

"Everything alright Clark?" Martha had noted her son's peculiar expression, and wondered just what he was thinking. 

He grinned back. "Everything is just fine now..." _Although if I tell even half this story at work, they'll think I'm nuts!_

"Well then, how about you all come on in and see what's under the tree, while the turkey cooks?" Jonathan appeared in the doorway, obviously the proudest grandpa in the state, "I hate to say it though, but Daryl and Karyn have beaten you all to opening the presents!" 

No one minded, because the greatest gift of all lay in Clark's arms, blissfully unaware of how precious he was. While Jonathan poured them all a drink, Karyn and Daryl decided it was their turn to investigate the baby. "He sure is quiet..." She observed, screwing her face up as the tot yawned. 

"Nothing like his Aunt then!" Jonathan laughed, "You were such a noisy kid!" 

Karyn scowled. "Was not!" 

Daryl's head cocked to one side, considering the information as he scrutinized baby Kent. "I think Mr. Kent is right, you'd be much noisier than...?" Both Daryl's eyebrows dropped in deliberation. "Does he have a name yet?" 

Lex sipped his egg nog and smirked at Clark's reaction, as did everyone else in the room. 

"Err...well Chloe wouldn't let me tell her the sex of the baby, and then when he came kinda early..." The doting dad winced. 

Daryl nodded perceptively, letting the now awake baby toy with his fingers. "Ugh huh, just as we thought. You need a name!" The tot burbled his agreeance, and then wrinkled his nose cheerily. 

"Well its not just up to me, I'll need to talk with Chlo..." Somehow Clark had the feeling his baby's name would be chosen right here and now, if he didn't act swiftly. Luckily for him, yet more knocking on the door signaled another arrival. It was becoming quite a day for unexpected visitors. 

Pete bustled into the living room, snow still dropping from his hair. "Aww man, how dare you have a kid when Uncle Pete wasn't here?" He beamed, and then nodded his greetings to the others. "I take it you had the road cleared?" Pete looked at Lex with a sparkle in his eyes. 

"Who else?" Jonathan forced a drink on the Metropolis Mayor, and then shot Lex a genuine smile, that came straight from the heart. "So, I think we need a toast?" _How did I start to like this guy so suddenly?_

Lex nodded, raising his glass. "To the luckiest baby in the world, and to the future, wherever it may take us!" 

Everyone sipped, and then Pete suddenly remembered the news he had been so eager to bring them all. Slipping a gift wrapped package from his pocket, he handed it to Clark with a grin. "I think you'll like this gift..." 

Curious, Clark gently handed his tot to Jonathan, who gladly took his new grandson. _About time I got to hold him..._

Inquisitively, Clark carefully opened the small packet, to reveal a metal container. Sliding it open, realization finally dawned on him. "It's the key to my ship! How did you find it?" 

Pete winked. "I acquired it from a friend in the F.B.I. who owed me, and there's more good news too. It was found on Lucas Luthor after he was arrested in Thailand..." He patted Clark on the back, "I guess you and Lex have finally won the fight huh?" 

Clark shrugged. Lucas might be behind bars, but there would always be a fight. Good against evil would always be a battle with no end, but while he lived he would fight it with honor, and integrity. Today though, was a day of joy, and celebration. A day for forgiveness, love, and peace... 

"CLARK!" Chloe's shout echoed down the stairs, "Don't you dare name the baby without me!" 

Daryl giggled, and then looked apologetically at the group. "I think Karyn sneaked up and kind of made some suggestions to Chloe..." 

Clark groaned and swiftly retrieved his son, super speeding up the stairs, while everybody else couldn't stifle their laughter. Chloe sat up in bed, expectantly waiting his arrival with her usual playful stare. "I hear you've been choosing names!" 

"I haven't, honest!" Clark handed the baby over to his mom, and hoped it would placate her. _Sheesh, naming is tougher than I thought too... _

Chloe adjusted the blanket around the tot's head, and he made a tiny squeal of appreciation. "I've been having ideas, while you were downstairs having fun..." 

"Oh?" Clark suddenly had no desire to ask what those ideas were. Chloe might be teasing, or she might be serious. Either way, he would have to be diplomatic if he didn't approve of her choice. 

"Yeah, I've been thinking people around here don't seem to have much imagination...I mean the Luthors all have names with LL, Lois does, and even Lana did until she married Byron! You and I have the same initials too. Let's break the monotony and give him an original name!" 

Clark frowned, hoping Chloe wasn't going to say something like Aloysius. _I really want to keep this simple..._ "Err...you have something in mind?" 

Chloe nodded her head earnestly, while gazing thoughtfully at her son. "Please don't be mad, but I wanted to name him after someone who meant a lot to us both; and after your real dad too, because without his forethought, you wouldn't be in any of our lives..." She licked her lips. "I wanted Ryan Joseph Kent..." 

"Joseph because it's close to Jor-El, and because he used the name Joe, when he paid earth a visit huh?" Clark wanted to smile, but he kept his face serious, just to string Chloe out awhile. "Why not Kyle, it's close to my other name...Kal-El..." 

The ruse worked, and Chloe sighed. "I so thought you'd like Ryan at least. He meant so much to us all, and it's a nice way of remembering him..." 

Clark leaned over, and without saying anything, softly kissed Chloe on the lips. When he pulled away, she gave him her best bemused scowl, and Clark beamed back. "I think it's a great name! Ryan Joseph Kent it is! I'll go tell the others...." A sudden thought hit him and he grimaced. "On second thoughts, can't you tell them?" 

Chloe rolled her eyes, as little Ryan decided it was time to make his presence known with a tiny cry. "Now what Clark?" 

"We have a living room full of guests, who I suspect, will all secretly want this kid named after them!" 

Chloe's mouth fell open in unison with her unsuspecting son's, as he peered around inquisitively. After several seconds, she realized she could offer no words of comfort to her husband, and instead grinned. "Hey, after saving the world so many times, this mission should be a peace of cake for you! Go tell them! And if not..." She leaned forward and whispered playfully. "You could always stay up here with me and Ryan awhile..." 

Clark's famous grin was nothing compared to the smile he now wore. "You know what? I like your second option so much better..." He gently kissed her again, and then sat on the edge of the bed, not wanting to ever let Chloe, or baby Ryan out of his sight. _Sometimes the world can be a surprising and wonderful place, and I'm so glad to be part of it..._

People's differences should never matter, even his own alien origins shouldn't, and today Clark had finally accepted that fact. He was just a very happy father, no matter who he was, or where he had come from. Looking from the window, at the pure white snow, he smiled one last time. _Merry Christmas, whoever, and wherever you are..._   
  
  


The End

  
  
  



End file.
